Two people were taken into custody and one individual was transported to hospital after shots were fired in Nanaimo’s downtown core this weekend.
At around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, March 12th, RCMP responded to reports of an altercation which involved gunfire near the intersection of Mill Street and Barsby Avenue in downtown Nanaimo.
Once on the scene, police say they located a group of adults in a parking lot on Terminal Avenue. One of these adults had suffered a gunshot wound.
Paramedics responded and transported the wounded victim to the hospital where they remain in stable condition.
The scene of the crime was determined to be a “shelterless encampment” in which police have secured and searched with the assistance of forensic officers and a canine unit.
A firearm which is believed to be the source of the victim’s wound was found in the RCMPs search.
“Investigators believe this incident was the result of a group of individuals who went to the encampment to retrieve stolen property, and as a result, an altercation ensued,”said R/Cst Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
According to O’Brien, two persons of interest have been taken into custody for unrelated warrants as a direct result of this investigation.
The investigation is ongoing and police are asking for anyone with information or dashcam video to contact Nanaimo RCMP at (250) 754-2345.
