File photo of the drive-by shooting on McIntyre Crescent on Sept.15,2020

By CKPG Today

Drug trade conflict

RCMP attribute recent violence in Prince George to drug trade conflict

Sep 22, 2020 | 12:25 PM

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PRINCE GEORGE — The Prince George RCMP have released some more details into their investigation of a string of shootings in the city in the last week.

There were six shootings, five of which police say can be directly associated to two rival groups involved in the drug trade.

It all started with a shooting on McIntyre Crescent early last Tuesday, Sept.15, when police say they received reports of multiple shots fired. A family of five, including three children, were home at the time but no one was injured. The suspect vehicle fled the scene before police arrived.

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The next drive-by shooting occurred in the 400-block of Quinn Street last Thursday night. Police say luckily the three occupants of the home were not injured.

Just a few hours later on Friday morning another drive-by shooting in the 110- block of Vancouver Street. Police say at least one shot was fired. Again, no one was injured.

Fast forward to 2 a.m. yesterday morning, where police arrived to find that a 23-year-old woman suffering from non-life threatening injuries in what was believed to be a gunshot wound on the 2600-block of Norwood Street. Investigators determined that the shooting likely took place outside an address on the 2800-block of Oak Street, about three blocks away.

Just before 11 p.m. last night, RCMP were called to a report of shots fired on Bellos Street. Officers arrived to find firearm related damage on a home. No injuries were reported.

And then just before 1:30 this morning, police believe a fire on the 4400-block of 1st Avenue was deliberately set. The fire was extinguished with most of the damage on the front of the house. The two adult occupants and their pets escaped without any reported injuries.

Police say the shooting that occurred on Upland Street near 20th Avenue on September 17 is not believed to be related to this dispute.

“A common factor in each of these investigations is that the persons being targeted are not cooperative with police,” says Cpl. Craig Douglass who notes police “have allocated considerable resources to stopping this dispute and keeping this community and its residents safe.”

He adds that most of these incidences have been targeted attacks and says the people using these firearms to commit these acts do so without a firearms licence or the ability to legally purchase firearms.

“The firearms used in these disputes are usually acquired through the theft of guns from legal gun owners. Police would like to remind all gun owners that it is their responsibility to secure their firearms when not in use. We also request that gun owners take extra steps to conceal the location of their gun safes to decrease the chances of guns being stolen.”

Anyone with information about any of these incidents is asked to call police at (250)561-3300 or Crime Stoppers at 1(800)561-3300.