Penticton shooting leaves man dead
Police say they have suspect in custody following shooting
One man is dead and a suspect is in custody following a shooting Wednesday in Penticton.
Police responded to a home at 998 Creston Ave., near the South Okanagan Events Centre and Murray Buick GMC, at 10:30 a.m. after receiving reports of multiple gunshots being fired.
“Our serious crimes section along with our forensic identification section and other investigators from the RCMP are on the scene,” RCMP spokesman Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth said in a brief statement as curious onlookers watched from behind police tape. “We have no further comment at this time.”
The names of the victim and the alleged shooter were not released pending notification of next of kin and the first court appearance by the accused. The police have the murder weapon in their possession.
A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, said her son went to help the victim, who appeared to have run from a notorious townhouse complex popular with “meth freaks” after being shot.
Her son told her the victim had been shot in the back, and his body was moved afterwards by police who feared for the shooter may have still been active. The first person to hear the shots, she said, was the mother of three young children who was sitting outside smoking a cigarette.
Witness Christian Klausen told Global Okanagan the man was banging on residents’ doors, and the gunman opened the door and shot him.
“It was a loud bang and there was a scream,” Klausen told Global. “The man was unarmed. I didn’t see any gun on him.”