A 49-year-old man was arrested early Thursday morning after allegedly firing a gun inside a home in central Nanaimo.
Nanaimo RCMP received several 911 calls from nearby residents who heard the shot at approximately 12:30 a.m.
Police were initially unable to find the home, but were contacted by a woman who was present at the time of the firing, and fled with two children. None of them were injured, and had gone to another location in Nanaimo.
At 2:30 a.m., officers attended to a home on Woodlands Street and located the suspect outside. He was taken into custody without incident.
Upon entering the home, police found several firearms, including one shotgun and two rifles, as well as cannabis and a “white powdery substance.”
The suspect was held in custody overnight and released without charges on Thursday morning, pending further investigation.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development was contacted and will be conducting their own investigation due to the presence of the two children when the gun was fired.
“The investigation is only in the beginning stages,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP. “Although the male was initially released without charges, the investigation is continuing and this individual faces a number of firearms and drug-related charges.”
