Investigation grows into B.C. ferry shooting

The RCMP are examining possible links between two violent incidents in British Columbia’s Okanagan less than 24 hours before a deadly police-involved shooting Tuesday on Vancouver Island.

Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says a preliminary investigation has uncovered possible ties between a shooting that severely injured a man in Vernon and a carjacking in Penticton that injured another victim and ended with the theft of his vehicle.

The Vernon shooting happened at around noon on Monday, and Shoihet says a suspect was seen leaving the area in a 1996 grey Ford Crown Victoria.

Several hours later, RCMP in Penticton were alerted to a man allegedly carrying a gun and matching the description of the suspect in Vernon, followed just minutes afterwards by a call about a carjacking and the theft of a Pontiac Vibe.

The suspect escaped and the RCMP say in a news release the Pontiac was traced to a B.C. ferry arriving in Nanaimo on Tuesday morning, when police intercepted the vehicle as it left the vessel.

An unnamed driver was killed Tuesday when shots were fired at the ferry terminal in Nanaimo, and the province’s police watchdog is now investigating.

“Investigators are actively working to either confirm or eliminate information in order to conclusively determine if the various incidents are connected,” the RCMP says in the release.