Two men have been released without charges after shootings in East Preston, N.S., Friday night prompted a direction for residents to shelter in place and an emergency alert to be issued.
In an interview Saturday, RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Chris Marshall said the two men, aged 21 and 26, were arrested Friday night and later released.
“Sometimes there is a difference between what we know and what we can actually prove, or if we have enough evidence to necessarily lay charges,” he said.
“Public safety was the ultimate thing last night, and we have grounds to believe these guys were both involved,” said Marshall. “That being said, the investigation is still ongoing. They could still be arrested again, they could still be charged.”
Marshall also said that while initial reports suggested shootings in both East and North Preston Friday night, officers have “definitively confirmed” the shootings were just in East Preston.
Police responded to a shooting on Brian Street around 6:55 p.m. on Friday, where they arrested a 21-year-old man without incident. At the time, officers thought two men believed to be armed had run into a wooded area nearby.
But on Saturday Marshall said police are “confident” there is not a third suspect. He said seven calls came into the police in quick succession and there was “conflicting information.”
The emergency alert was issued shortly after 8 p.m. Around 9:20 p.m., a 26-year-old man was found in a home on Cherry Brook Road in Cherry Brook, where he had entered “without consent.”
Marshall couldn’t say why charges were not laid for entering the home without consent, but said charges could be laid in the future.
The emergency alert was lifted around 11:30 p.m. Friday. Nobody is believed to have been injured in the shootings.
Marshall added that police have seized two vehicles believed to be involved in the incidents, one of which was allegedly stolen. Forensic services have begun examining them and the vehicles will be released to the owners once they’re done, he said.