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Attorney of man accused of killing woman: ‘He never wanted this to happen'

By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com
By Ken Lemon, wsoctv.com

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — A Cleveland County man accused of shooting his neighbors Wednesday morning is in custody and charged with first-degree murder, officials said.

A woman was killed and her husband is in critical condition after the shooting just after 7 a.m. in the 100 block of Mann Court, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff said the accused shooter, 40-year-old Robert Bridges, had an ongoing dispute about a right-of-way with his neighbors.

On Thursday, Bridges had his first appearance in court and had his own attorney. Bridges' attorney told Channel 9 that people should not rush to judgement.

Bridges only answered 'yes sir' and 'no sir' while he was in court.

His fiancée cried as she watched him make his first appearance.

His loved ones claim he is not a suspect, but a victim they think they have evidence and video that shows it.

Relatives of Bridges claim even the crime scene is revealing. They said Bridges truck was flanked by the vehicles driven by the two people he shot. They call it proof he wasn't the aggressor.

"He's very remorseful. He seems to be a very decent man and never of course wanted any of these things to happen," Calvin Coleman, Bridge’s defense attorney said.

Bridges and his fiancée filed court orders saying they were harassed by the couple he shot.

Myla Oaks was killed by gunfire and her husband, Jeff Oaks, who is still in the hospital now showing signs of improvement.

Deputies told Channel 9 that the couple's middle-school-aged child witnessed the shooting and ran to the school bus stop for help.

The bus driver, also scared, sped away from the scene with the boy onboard.

That child was OK and was speaking to investigators at the school.

"People should not have a rush to judgement in this case," Coleman said.

Bridges and his fiancée told the judge the Oaks constantly fired guns at their home just across the dirt road near Kings Mountain.

They said Myla Oaks followed them and blocked their driveway.

Bridges’ fiancee said Myla once told her that Bridges was quote "a dead man."

They said they put hidden cameras around their home and captured video and sound of the harassment.

"I don't believe it," Emily Swindell, Myla’s friend said.

Myla Oak's best friend said the Oaks filed their own restraining orders, claiming Robert Bridges did the same things to them and even "assaulted" Jeff Oaks.

“She just simply couldn't understand why he kept aggravating them so much," Swindell said.

Those videos submitted by Bridges and his fiancée are being held as evidence in their civil case.

Sheriff's investigators seized his computers and hard drive. That means they have any video captured by the cameras on the day of the shooting.

"He never wanted this to happen," the attorney said.

https://twitter.com/kenlemonWSOC9/status/692720732061724672

Channel 9 uncovered that Bridges was in court Tuesday with the victims, Myla and Jeffery Oaks, regarding a dispute about the right-of-way on Mann Court.

Deputies told Channel 9 that they believe Bridges used his truck to ram the sedan belonging to the Oaks.

Investigators said Bridges fired several shots and killed 32-year-old Myla at the scene. He also shot her husband, 53-year-old Jeffery, who was flown to a Charlotte-area hospital in critical condition. The sheriff said his injuries are grave.

  • PRESS PLAY for an update from the scene from reporter Angela Hong:

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Channel 9 also learned that the Sheriff's Office had been called out to Mann Court several times before because of the feuding neighbors.

A friend of the Oaks has set up a Facebook page providing updates on Jeffery's condition.

https://twitter.com/AngelaWSOC9/status/692386987823755264

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