A man charged with two shootings that paralyzed much of metro St. John’s last fall, has admitted his role in the incident.

Matthew Fowler’s trial on 19 related charges was scheduled to start this week.

But in a surprise twist, the 32-year-old entered guilty pleas to five of those offences, including firing a gun while being reckless for someone’s safety, being unlawfully in a victim’s home, being in a car where he knew there was a prohibited firearm, and failing to stop for police.

The incident played out on the morning of September 22, triggering emergency alerts and forcing some schools and businesses into lockdown. Fowler was arrested several hours later after a brief and dramatic car chase on St. Thomas’s Line.

Earlier reports that Fowler was driven by interactions between his girlfriend and other men were confirmed in Supreme Court yesterday.

Fowler’s sentencing hearing is set for November 24.