Community members in Coquitlam, B.C., gathered on Saturday to participate in an RCMP community outreach event in the wake of recent shootings.
Around a week ago, there were three separate shootings in as many days in the city. A 21-year-old man was killed in the third shooting.
“It has been excellent, it has been very, very well attended and a steady stream of people since we opened the doors. Lots of interactions and lots of great questions,” Darren Carr, Coquitlam RCMP’s commanding officer, said. “The three shootings in three days have definitely had an impact on people, particularly for the Coquitlam central area … this is a very walkable area, and a lot of questions around is it safe? Is it safe to walk around?”
Carr said he is telling residents that, unfortunately, shootings are becoming a part of our reality in B.C., though the three shootings in such a small area are “unusual.”
“I’m getting (community members) to focus on the fact that these are targeted shootings. We are taking them very seriously, we are increasing our police presence, we are working with our partners with (B.C.’s gang police) and given one was a homicide, we are working with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team,” Carr said.
Carr said the investigation continues into all three shootings to see if they are related.
B.C.’s Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth was also in attendance.
“(It was important for me to be here) to hear people’s concerns and let people know that governments, and police, take these kinds of situations seriously,” he told Global News. “Like most people, (I) was appalled and shocked that this happened in such a small place in a small time.”
Global News spoke with a couple of residents who attended the event.
Dan Peacock and Lori Peacock said they recently moved into the community and wanted to hear from the police about what was going on.
“When they had the open house … we wanted to hear some of the background to hear about what is going on,” Dan said. “(We got) a bit of reassurance and that is what we were looking for.”
The three-hour event was held at the Glen Pine Pavilion.
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