RCMP in Kamloops, B.C., have issued a warning about “an increased risk to public safety” in the wake of a string of violent incidents linked to organized crime.
In a Wednesday media release, police said the incidents included a string of shootings, arsons and “targeted criminal acts.”
Mounties said they were expecting the violence to continue as the sides in the conflict “maintain their presence in the community.”
“The two men who appear to be at the centre of the conflict have been warned about the risk to themselves, but recent events also lead us to be fearful for the safety of the public at large who may live or be near the men or their associates who are being targeted as a result of their criminal activities,” Kamloops RCMP Officer in Charge Supt. Jeff Pelley said.
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“Without going into detail due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, some of these incidents occurred in public venues and have included a misidentified target.”
Police have released names and images of two men they believe to be the targets of future violence, Cameron Ronald Cole, 40, and Justin Christopher Hunt, 25, and are asking the public to avoid them and their associates.
Police say the violent incidents are affecting the public’s sense of safety and security, and could easily have hurt an innocent bystander.
Anyone with information about recent violent incidents or suspicious activity is asked to call 911.