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1 dead, 91Ƶseveral91Ƶ arrested after shooting at Nanaimo strip mall

Heavy RCMP presence gathered at strip mall along old Island Highway

One person is dead after reports of shots fired at Rock City Centre in Nanaimo.

A heavy police presence gathered outside the Wendy91Ƶs 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 O91ƵBrien confirmed one person died in the incident from apparent gunshot wounds and 91Ƶseveral91Ƶ individuals were arrested.

91ƵWe91Ƶre not sure whether we have everybody involved in custody,91Ƶ said O91ƵBrien. 91ƵIt91Ƶs a very dynamic situation. We have officers at various scenes throughout the city.91Ƶ

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.

91ƵJust 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], didn91Ƶt even bother stopping to take a look a traffic and took off,91Ƶ 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 victim91Ƶs vehicle.

91ƵAnd then the RCMP started showing up,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵThey opened the back door of the vehicle 91Ƶ I91Ƶm going, oh, maybe they91Ƶre looking for gunshots in the back seat, not thinking that there was a person in there.91Ƶ

Adrienne Perron, manager of the Sherwinn-Williams paint store, was working when she heard three shots.

91ƵThen two black SUVs 91Ƶ full SWAT 91Ƶ just circled in and blocked in that car,91Ƶ she said.

Perron said it seemed like only seconds after the shots were fired that police showed up.

91ƵIt happened fast,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵWe saw people scattering. Cars were kind of coming in to see what was going on 91Ƶ and then we could see that they were draping all that yellow tarp around that vehicle.91Ƶ

Perron said she was shaken by the incident.

91ƵIt91Ƶs been getting pretty sketchy here. I open by myself sometimes,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵWe91Ƶve got three access points to the store and there91Ƶs three people with guns running around somewhere. That freaks me out.91Ƶ


More from the News Bulletin on and

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RCMP on scene at Rock City Centre in Nanaimo following reports of shots fired. RCMP confirmed one person died in the incident. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
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