Photo: Castanet Staff

RCMP respond to a shooting in Oliver on April 19. Charges related to the incident have now been dropped after the victim died months later.

Crown prosecutors have dropped attempted murder and firearms charges against Afshin Ighani.

Ighani was accused of shooting Thomas Szajko in Oliver on April 19, but Szajko died Dec. 1 at his home of an unrelated cause.

Szajko was the Crown’s key witness for the incident, and prosecutor John Swanson announced the stay of charges Monday in Penticton court.

Ighani still faces charges for an alleged kidnapping and carjacking prior to his arrest in Princeton three days after the shooting.

The preliminary inquiry for those charges began Monday with a pair of warrants being issued for subpoenaed witnesses that did not show up.

A preliminary hearing is for a judge to decide if there is enough evidence to convict the accused and order a trial. In addition to the subpoenaed witnesses, multiple police officers will testify today.

Ighani also faces new charges sworn Friday for an assault against two other inmates at Okanagan Corrections Centre.