Nanaimo man found dead after shooting

Nanaimo RCMP are investigating a fatal shooting at the Hawthorne Corner housing complex Saturday morning.

A man was found dead at 10:50 a.m. in the parking lot of the complex, at Wakesiah Avenue and Second Street.

Const. Gary O’Brien said the identity of the victim will not be made public until his next of kin have been notified.

The man is known to police and the shooting appears to be targeted, O’Brien said.

Neighbours said the victim lived in the Hawthorne Corner complex. “He always had his car parked out there,” Chaker Espinoza told CHEK News. “Really nice guy. Always passed by and said hi.”

Caleb Johanson, who lives nearby, said there were about six shots. “I looked [out] our bedroom window and I could see there were some cars with holes in them and then went out a little bit later and there was actually a bullet hole by my door to my place, about head height.”

Witnesses said they heard five to seven shots before seeing a car speed away. Police have not said whether the victim was inside his car when he was shot.

“[I] think there were three gunshots in the window,” said Espinoza, who was in the parking lot when first responders arrived.

Officers are also investigating a car fire reported after the shooting.

“Certain individuals may have left the scene,” O’Brien said. “We’re trying to connect the dots between that vehicle and possibly being involved in the shooting.”