Jamie Lynn Roycraft was fast asleep in the cab of a Jeep in the Chilliwack River Valley overnight Dec. 9 when a loud bang awoke her.
That bang was the sound of a bullet penetrating the door of the vehicle about a foot away from her head.
“What was supposed to be a nice evening on the [Chilliwack] River turned into a horrible night that almost took my life,” she posted the next day on Facebook.
There were two reports from campers who say their vehicles were shot at Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
Police said last week they don’t believe the vehicle occupants were the targets, only the vehicles. Chilliwack RCMP reported Dec. 11 they were looking for witnesses after two vehicles were hit by gunfire.
A week later on Dec. 18, local RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Rail said police continue to “pursue all investigative avenues and urge anyone with information regarding these incidents to contact the Chilliwack RCMP or CrimeStoppers.”
General duty officers, supported by the Lower Mainland Forensic Identification Section, attended sites at the Chilliwack River Fish Hatchery and Tamihi Bridge along Chilliwack Lake Road.
• RELATED: No shooting near main FVRD backroads, effective immediately
“In each circumstance we believe the vehicle – not the vehicle occupants – was the intended target,” Rail said.
“The reckless use of a firearm is a criminal act and it is fortunate no one was injured.”
Roycroft shared a photo with The Progress of the door of the vehicle after the incident. One bullet hole is visible surrounded by other grey marks where it looks as if other bullets hit the vehicle but did not penetrate.
Roycroft said she only heard one shot that also shattered the window. She added that while the bullet penetrated the outside of the door, luckily it did not enter the cab of the vehicle.
Another person posted on social media that a trailer in a campground nearby was also hit with a bullet near where children were sleeping.
The incident evoked memories of a bizarre shooting in the Chilliwack River Valley on March 25. Peter Anthony Kampos, 38, remains in custody charged with attempted murder in that case that involved a man being shot at in his vehicle.
Kampos is also a suspect in a series of 22 vehicle shootings over a 14-hour period between Kitimat, Prince George and 100 Mile House.
• RELATED: Bail hearing set for Chilliwack River Valley shooting suspect
RCMP are urging anyone with any information regarding these incidents to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611. To remain anonymous, they can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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