One man was killed in a shooting in Metchosin late Friday night that police believe was a targeted incident.
According to West Shore RCMP, the incident occurred just after 9 p.m. on March 5 in the 4600-block of Sooke Road (Highway 14). Police received reports that a man had been shot and when emergency crews – including the West Shore RCMP Police Dog Service and the Vancouver Island RCMP Emergency Response Team – arrived, they found a 37-year-old man known to police deceased at the scene.
“This was not a random act of violence,” said Const. Alex Berube, media relations officer for the West Shore RCMP, in a press event Saturday.
Initial evidence gathered at the scene suggests the shooting was targeted, he explained, adding that no arrests had been made and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) had taken over the investigation. Next of kin had been notified by Saturday but police could not release the name of the man at the time.
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REMINDER – #BCHwy14 is closed in #SookeBC east of Kangaroo Road due to a police incident. Detour now available. Eastbound traffic can use Gillespie Rd for a detour. . Westbound traffic from #SookeBC can use Happy Valley Rd as a detour. For more info: https://t.co/ngRssIvw6V
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) March 6, 2021
“Police are still working at identifying persons of interest” and the motive behind the shooting, Berube explained. “At this stage, we’re not ruling out any possibilities as to what may have occurred or who may have been involved.”
When asked about a possible risk to the public, he emphasized that while residents “may feel uneasy about a shooting happening in a rural area such as Metchosin,” investigators do believe the deceased was targeted. Berube could not say if the shooting was gang-related.
The incident resulted in Sooke Road being closed in both directions in the area from late Friday night until 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
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Berube said parts of the area would remain closed for some time as investigators worked to scour the area for evidence. Police will be on scene through the weekend but he noted the blockade perimeter would shrink as the investigation proceeded.
Anyone with information or who was in the area between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday is asked to contact investigators. To contact VIIMCU, call 250-380-6211, and to reach West Shore RCMP, call 250-474-2264. Dash-cam footage can also be submitted to police to aid in the investigation.
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During a press event on March 6, Const. Alex Berube, media relations officer for the West Shore RCMP, addressed a deadly shooting that occurred in Metchosin the night before. (Devon Bidal/News Staff)
During a press event on March 6, Const. Alex Berube, media relations officer for the West Shore RCMP, addressed a deadly shooting that occurred in Metchosin the night before. (Devon Bidal/News Staff)
