The man accused of killing a woman during a fight between two motorcycle clubs near Portland’s Morrill’s Corner has pleaded not guilty.

Aaron Karp made his first appearance in Cumberland County Superior Court in August. Screenshot from court proceedings courtesy NEWS CENTER Maine

Aaron Karp, 47, was charged in August with one count of intentional or knowing murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 54-year-old Susan McHugh. He had turned himself in on Aug. 8, days after police searched his ex-wife’s home.

Wearing a plaid button-up instead of a jail uniform, he was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Cumberland County Superior Court were he entered a plea for the first time. He is being held at the Cumberland County Jail without bail.

He said little else, other than indicating to Superior Justice John O’Neil that he understood what he was being accused of. Karp was indicted by a grand jury Oct. 7.

Court records in the case were still impounded from the public immediately following his brief court appearance.

During Karp’s first court appearance on Sept. 20, a Portland police detective testified that he had surveillance camera footage of Karp firing the gun at McHugh the night of July 30.

The state’s case begins hours before the shooting at Brookside Food and Drink in Westbrook, where the detective said McHugh’s son Travis Frechette and her husband, Troy, were with their friend William Holmes.

Police say the three men were members of the motorcycle club FSU.

The detective said that members of a rival club, Higher Calling, could be seen on video entering Brookside. There was an argument, during which Holmes allegedly assaulted some of the Higher Calling members. At one point, he took a man’s gun and handed it to Troy McHugh, who the detective said stripped the rounds from the magazine.

After Holmes, Troy McHugh and Frechette left, the Higher Calling members could be seen making phone calls, police said. Karp and others later arrived at where the McHughs’ car was parked near Samuel’s Bar & Grill.

Karp and his group began attacking the others with a wrench and sledgehammer, police said.

In other video described by police in September, Susan McHugh was seen crouched behind the car, firing her husband’s gun once at Karp’s group.

Karp and his members fled, but as he tripped, police said the video showed him firing nine rounds in Susan McHugh’s direction.

Frechette’s girlfriend called 911 around 8:45 p.m., police said in the September hearing. Troy McHugh and Holmes were taken to the hospital with fractured skulls. They couldn’t immediately tell who shot Susan McHugh, who died from her injuries.