Saanich police believe one or more people shooting pellets could be behind a trail of damage estimated at $20,000.
Unoccupied businesses and cars, their windows shot out by some sort of projectile, appear to have been the main targets, though a man was also hit.
The 20-year-old man believes a wound he received on his elbow July 4 was caused by a pellet gun. He described an older-model gold sedan with two occupants that he thought was involved in the incident at Elk Lake Drive and Royal Oak Drive, said Saanich police Sgt. Steve Eassie.
The man said he saw what appeared to be a pistol-type pellet gun sticking out one of the windows.
“What has been happening so far is that they have been targeting mostly vehicles and shooting out either the rear windshield of the vehicle or side windows of the vehicle,” Eassie said. A number of businesses have also been hit.
“Public safety is a concern for us, and we’d like to identify who these individuals are,” he said. “Rest assured, we are taking these incidents very, very seriously.”
Most of the activity has been in the north part of Saanich. The first cases were in the Wilkinson Road area. More recently, two cars — one on Alderley Road off Sayward Road and one on Santa Clara Avenue off Claremont Avenue — were damaged July 12, but no pellets have been found.
Reports of the incidents have been coming in clusters, Eassie said. He said any shooting is likely from a vehicle, possibly as it is moving. The most common times for incidents have been between 5 and 8 p.m., and 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Saanich police ask anyone with information to call them at 250-475-4321 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
