Two ‘targeted’ shootings in Cowichan Valley, B.C., in three days, RCMP say

RCMP are investigating after two early-morning shootings have taken place over the past three days on two residential streets in the Cowichan Valley.

Cpl. Alex Bérubé, media relations officer for the RCMP, says the shootings appear to have been targeted, and police have not ruled out gang involvement.

“While these incidents are concerning, investigators have reasons to believe this was not random, but rather targeted incidents,” he said.

The shootings occurred less than two kilometres apart, on streets lined with residential homes. Neighbours were surprised by police reports of these incidents, which they say is uncommon for their areas.

Neighbors reported the sound of gunshots to police on Monday morning around 4:45 a.m. Bérubé says that RCMP responded to the 5800 block of Jaynes Rd. in North Cowichan, but did not initially find anything of importance.

The local RCMP’s investigation support team and street crimes unit, along with a police service dog, returned later and found evidence that a home had been shot at, he said. No injuries have been reported in connection to this shooting.

This morning at about 2:45 am, RCMP received reports of gunshots at the 1000 block of Marchmont Rd. Once on the scene, they found two vehicles that appeared to have been targeted by the gunfire.

Shortly after, an older model Jeep Cherokee was found engulfed in flames on Herd Rd. This car, Bérubé says, is believed to have been involved with the second shooting.

Police are investigating whether the two shootings are connected, and whether one or multiple suspects were involved, he said. Gang activity has not been ruled out.

“It is definitely in the mind of the investigators, however we don't want to keep focused solely on that as it is still very early in the investigation,” said Bérubé.

He says police don’t believe the two shootings are tied to any extortion cases, and that unlike the Lower Mainland, the island has not seen any recent incidents of extortion.

Neighbors uneasy about shootings “close to home”

Deirdre Eustace, who lives across the street from where police say the second shooting took place, said she was surprised to hear about the shooting from the CBC in a conversation on Wednesday morning.

Eustace says she didn’t hear any gunshots overnight, but noted the weather was very stormy.

“Looking outside, you would not know anything's happened,” she said. “It looks really quiet.”

It’s uncommon for gunshots to be heard in her neighbourhood, Eustace says. The area is generally considered safe – she has local children who come to walk her dogs down the street.

“You don't expect these things, because honestly my neighborhood is kind of a lot of retired people,” she said.

“I would say most people know each other in this area.”

A neighbour living on the block where the first shooting took place, Torben Madsen, was similarly surprised to hear a shooting had occurred on his street.

“That's pretty close to home, I don't feel good about that,” he said.

Madsen says his street is a quiet, low crime area, and that these reports are unusual.

Bérubé says police are still assessing the ongoing risk to the public from these incidents.

He encouraged anyone who witnessed or has any information about these incidents to reach out to the RCMP.