Police are hoping the public can help identify a person of interest, seen near a vehicle in the early morning hours of June 6 near the Vancouver Island Military Museum. (Image Credit: Nanaimo RCMP)

By Alex Rawnsley

missing weapon

‘Person of interest’ sought after shotgun taken from downtown Nanaimo truck

Jun 17, 2026 | 1:53 PM

NANAIMO — Local Mounties are looking to identify a person seen near a vehicle after someone broke a window and stole a shotgun located inside.

Between midnight and 11 a.m. on June 6, a Mossberg 500 Mossy Oak 12-gauge pump-action shotgun was taken from a vehicle parked near the Vancouver Island Military Museum on Cameron Rd. in the city’s downtown.

RCMP Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien said the owner of the vehicle and the gun found a rear passenger window smashed and the weapon missing late in the morning.

“We have a CCTV image of an individual that is near the vehicle. We can’t ascertain if this person is the actual person who broke into it, but chances are this person may know something about this.”

The individual was seen around the vehicle at approximately 3 a.m.

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They’re described as a Caucasian man, wearing a black baseball cap, a black long-sleeve shirt, black pants, and white running shoes.

O’Brien said police believe the individual to be a “person of interest” and not a formal suspect.

No investigative action is being considered against the gun’s owner, O’Brien said, as they had the shotgun underneath a blanket with a trigger lock on and no ammunition inside.

The blanket was missing, as was a bank card.

“It was safe storage of a firearm. It’s non-restricted, a shotgun, and as long as it’s covered up, out of sight, with a trigger lock in place, and no ammunition, they’re good to go.”

Anyone with information on the theft is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP at 1-250-754-2345, quoting file number 2026-17742.

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by Alex Rawnsley

‘Person of interest’ sought after shotgun taken from downtown Nanaimo truck

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