Accused in Halifax mall shooting plot one step closer to trial

The case involving two people accused of plotting mass murder at the Halifax Shopping Centre on Valentine's Day last year has moved one small step closer to trial.

Lindsay Kantha Souvannarath, 23, and Randall Steven Shepherd, 21, made a brief appearance in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax Thursday morning.

Lawyers for the pair agreed to meet with a judge and the Crown next month to discuss the case. They'll return to court on Feb. 25 to set dates for a trial.

This is at least the third time lawyers have attempted to set dates to move thecase forward.

The lawyer for Souvannarath, Luke Craggs, noted it's been six months since the pair were committed to stand trialfollowing a preliminary inquiry last summer.

Souvannarath and Shepherd were arrested just after she flew to Halifax from her Illinois home. They have been in jail ever since. They are each charged with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit arson,illegal possession of dangerous weapons and making a threat through social media.

A third suspect, 19-year-old James Gamble, was found dead in his suburban Halifax home around the same time Shepherd and Souvannarath were arrested.

Following Thursdaymorning's appearance, the pair was sent back to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Centre in Burnside to await their next court date.