One person is dead after reports of shots fired at Rock City Centre in Nanaimo.
A heavy police presence gathered outside the Wendy害羞草研究所檚 restaurant at the plaza along the old Island highway at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 20. Witnesses reported hearing shots fired.
Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O害羞草研究所橞rien confirmed one person died in the incident from apparent gunshot wounds and 害羞草研究所渟everal害羞草研究所� individuals were arrested.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e not sure whether we have everybody involved in custody,害羞草研究所� said O害羞草研究所橞rien. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a very dynamic situation. We have officers at various scenes throughout the city.害羞草研究所�
He said there is no danger to the public at this point.
The Best Western Northgate hotel was secured while officers searched for forensic evidence related to the investigation. A vehicle was seized that was associated with the individuals who were arrested.
Lee Marstein, who lives near Rock City Centre, was using her mobility scooter near the shooting scene when it happened.
害羞草研究所淛ust as I was coming around the corner I hear pop, pop, pop, pop, pop and then pop and then I see the white vehicle come screaming out of [the parking lot], didn害羞草研究所檛 even bother stopping to take a look a traffic and took off,害羞草研究所� she said.
Marstein said she heard gun shots in the area a few days earlier and found a bullet casing nearby, which she reported to the police.
She said the vehicle that sped out of Rock City Plaza was a white SUV and it was shortly after that she saw glass on the ground from the victim害羞草研究所檚 vehicle.
害羞草研究所淎nd then the RCMP started showing up,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hey opened the back door of the vehicle 害羞草研究所� I害羞草研究所檓 going, oh, maybe they害羞草研究所檙e looking for gunshots in the back seat, not thinking that there was a person in there.害羞草研究所�
Adrienne Perron, manager of the Sherwinn-Williams paint store, was working when she heard three shots.
害羞草研究所淭hen two black SUVs 害羞草研究所� full SWAT 害羞草研究所� just circled in and blocked in that car,害羞草研究所� she said.
Perron said it seemed like only seconds after the shots were fired that police showed up.
害羞草研究所淚t happened fast,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e saw people scattering. Cars were kind of coming in to see what was going on 害羞草研究所� and then we could see that they were draping all that yellow tarp around that vehicle.害羞草研究所�
Perron said she was shaken by the incident.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been getting pretty sketchy here. I open by myself sometimes,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e got three access points to the store and there害羞草研究所檚 three people with guns running around somewhere. That freaks me out.害羞草研究所�
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