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Barrie man accused of murder in Keswick park shooting granted bail

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A Barrie man accused of murder has been granted bail ahead of his preliminary hearing.

The Barrie man facing two counts of first-degree murder in a September 2024 shooting that killed two men in a Keswick, Ont. park has been granted bail.

John McKay, 19, was bailed out last month in Newmarket to three sureties who pledged more than half a million dollars to secure his release from custody. He is accused, alongside Ethan Pashka-McNeil, 21, of gunning down two men at Bayview Park the morning of September 18, 2024.

Suspects Ethan Pashka-McNeil, 21, (Source: Reddit) and John McKay, 19, (Source: Facebook) both from Barrie, are charged with first-degree murder.

Police confirmed Reilly MacDonald, 21, who went by the name Stackzz Mac online and Mark Sutcliffe, 39, of Stouffville, died in the double shooting.

Police believe all four men knew one another but investigators would not elaborate on their relationship. York Regional police said it was a targeted incident and there was no threat to public safety. A vehicle, close to where the men were shot, had a bullet hole through it and residents described hearing several gun shots ring out.

Keswick shooting

As part of his strict release conditions, McKay is required to wear a GPS ankle monitor and be in the presence of a surety at all times. Pashka-McNeil, also of Barrie, remains in jail.

Viewer video obtained by CTV News captured what appeared to be an arrest at Leacock Plaza in Barrie hours after police said the shooting happened.

Reilly MacDonald Reilly MacDonald, of Newmarket, Ont., died in a double shooting at Bayview Park in Keswick, Ont., on Sept.18, 2024.

In the days that followed, Barrie and York Regional police officers were seen canvassing the area of Browning Trail in Barrie with the K9 unit and metal detectors in hand. Neighbours said police seized a vehicle from a home along Barrett Crescent in Letitia Heights.

Friends of Sutcliffe described him as a big brother who protected his friends and considered many of them family.

Mark Sutcliffe Mark Sutcliffe, 39, of Stouffville, Ont., was pronounced dead after an alleged shooting in a Keswick park on Wed., Sept. 18, 2024. (Source: Facebook)

MacDonald had several social media posts with weapons in hand, posing in hoodies and bandanas while throwing up gang signs.

The accused return to court in July for the start of their preliminary hearing. The allegations against them have not been tested in court.

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