Multiple bullet holes were left in a fence and a home on the 700 block of Nicol St. following a shooting late Wednesday evening. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

SHOOTING

Overnight Nicol St. shooting believed to be ‘targeted, isolated incident’

Nov 3, 2022 | 9:21 AM

NANAIMO — No injuries and no suspects have immediately been identified by police following a suspected targeted shooting in south Nanaimo.

At least 12 bullet holes, now paired with police investigative markings were visible at a home in the 700 block of Nicol St., after the incident on Wednesday, Nov. 2 shortly before 10 p.m.

Nanaimo RCMP Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW a large number of officers quickly attended.

“No suspects were on scene and there were no reported injuries. Numerous casings were retrieved with the assistance of the members and Police Dog Services.”

It’s unclear whether anyone was at home at the time.

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No track was able to be established by the canine officers and O’Brien wouldn’t comment on the type of weapon believed to be involved.

Police are continuing an investigation and were canvassing the surrounding area for witnesses and video surveillance footage.

Approximately six bullet holes stemmed from a late night shooting at a home on Nicol St. on Wednesday. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

O’Brien said the home involved is well known to them.

“Based on the home that we’ve attended to numerous times, we know for a fact that the people who live there are involved in criminal activity and we believe this was a targeted, isolated incident.”

He said investigators continue to follow up on numerous leads, including known people connected to the people living in the home.

“When somebody does a brazen act of violence like this and they fire shots into a home, it’s significant. Our concern is to find out who’s responsible and get them off the street.”

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250 754 2345, quoting file number 2022-38888.

The home involved is located immediately next to Samaritan Place, a supportive housing facility run by the Island Crisis Care Society which officially opened in March 2022.

Staff at Samaritan Place told NanaimoNewsNOW on Thursday morning no-one inside was hurt during the incident.

An area resident said he was inside his home at the time when he heard an estimated eight gunshot blasts.

“We heard the shots, then we heard it sound like a car take off…It was like ‘pow, pow, pow, pow, pow,’ then buddy took off right after the shooting.”

The man said he then made a statement to Nanaimo RCMP, noting several Mounties responded quickly, some with assault rifles drawn.

Crimes involving guns have been an increasing concern in Nanaimo, particularly the south end, over the past year.

Three other shootings in the area since October of last year resulted in multiple people hurt.

In October 2021 a man received non-life threatening injuries after gunshots were fired at a derelict home on Nicol St. near Needham St.

While nobody was found at the home, a man showed up at Nanaimo hospital 20 minutes later with wounds believed the be caused by gunfire.

Last December a man sustained non-life threatening injuries after shots were fired in front of a View St. home, west of Nicol St.

In January a man was seriously hurt during a shooting at a since boarded-up home on Needham St.

Earlier this year the City of Nanaimo received an unexpected $1.8 million from the federal government to form a three-year plan to combat gun and gang violence.

The funds will be used to create various pilot projects.

A fence in front of a Nicol St. property has around half a dozen bullet holes in it following a shooting late Wednesday evening. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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