Canton Walmart Shooting Suspect, 21, Enters Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Plea

Shane C.L. Newman, the 21-year-old Plain Township man accused of pointing a handgun at a Canton police officer and pulling the trigger inside a Walmart processing room, changed his legal strategy on March 12, entering a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in Stark County Common Pleas Court.

Defense attorney Ty Graham filed the plea and simultaneously asked the court to evaluate Newman's mental state at the time of the alleged offenses and whether he is competent to stand trial. The move replaces Newman's earlier not guilty plea, which he entered on February 20 in the same court.

The charges Newman now faces under the insanity plea are serious: attempted murder, felonious assault, robbery, having weapons under disability, carrying concealed weapons, aggravated drug possession, drug possession, and obstructing official business. Gun specifications are attached to three of those counts. Newman remains in the Stark County Jail on a $1 million bond.

The incident that set off the case happened December 18 inside a processing room at the Walmart at 3200 Atlantic Blvd. NE in Canton. Newman and a female companion had been stopped and accused of shoplifting when, according to police body camera footage, Newman pulled a handgun from his clothing, pointed it directly at Canton police officer P.J. Johnson, and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire.

Walmart loss prevention associate Conrad Piero moved in before Newman could attempt to fire again, and Newman was wrestled to the floor. The body camera footage from the confrontation, which one headline described as "incredibly terrifying," went viral shortly after the incident.

Piero's intervention drew formal recognition from multiple officials. Police Chief John Gabbard awarded him a civilian commendation, Mayor William V. Sherer II gave him a mayoral proclamation, and U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, issued a congressional commendation in his name.

The next phase of the case now hinges on the results of psychiatric evaluation. Courts handling insanity pleas in Ohio typically require independent forensic assessment before proceeding to trial, meaning the case timeline will depend largely on how quickly those evaluations are completed and what they conclude.