RCMP block off streets after gun call

A Gibsons resident is facing a bylaw fine after a report of a man with a gun in the area near the public market and marina.

According to Sunshine Coast RCMP, a transit driver contacted police around 8:30 a.m. March 17, after a passenger on the bus said they’d seen a man with a rifle on Gower Point Road.

“Due to the high-risk nature of the report, as well as the uncertainty about exactly where the suspect had been seen, police blocked off several streets in the area as a precautionary measure,” RCMP said.

Several police vehicles with lights and sirens activated were seen rushing into Gibsons from the detachment headquarters in Sechelt. Almost as quickly, rumours about what was happening spread via social media.

RCMP were able to locate the man seen by the bus passenger at a home in the 500 block of Gower Point Road, and after questioning him, they discovered he’d been trying to shoot crows in a tree in his backyard with a pellet gun. 

“When we hear that someone may be carrying a gun in a residential neighbourhood, it’s important that we respond appropriately and take all necessary precautions for the safety of the public and our officers until we can determine that there is no threat,” said Const. Harrison Mohr.

“In this case, because of the difficulty we faced in contacting the original witness to determine the specific location of the suspect, we had to widen our safety perimeter until we confirmed exactly where the suspect had been seen. Thankfully our officers were able to locate the suspect and confirm there was no public safety risk.

“Although it does not sound like the male with the pellet gun was committing any criminal offence, we would like to remind the public that an item such as a pellet gun or imitation firearm can look very real and threatening to others. We have to treat it as a real gun until we can confirm otherwise.”

The neighbourhood was a bit busier than usual that morning. The Gambier-Keats ferry, which is temporarily using the Gibsons Marina, was arriving around the time of the incident. Local boat builder Coastal Craft was launching one of its newly completed yachts, and some of the people held up at RCMP roadblocks told Coast Reporter they’d been on their way to watch, but the company said there was no disruption and the launch went on as planned. Operations at the Gibsons Public Market were not impacted either – RCMP had lifted their cordon of the neighbourhood well before the market’s 10 a.m. opening time.

RCMP said the man was briefly placed under arrest, but was released with no criminal charges pending. Town officials have confirmed, however, that RCMP issued the man a ticket under Public Spaces Bylaw 1012, which prohibits carrying or discharging a firearm, which includes air rifles, within Town boundaries without proper permits. The fine is $100.