North Vancouver RCMP’s serious crimes unit is continuing to investigate after an early morning shooting Wednesday in the Cloverley neighbourhood.
Residents in the 1100 block of Cloverley Street were woken by what they described as the sound of four or five gunshots around 5:20 a.m. Wednesday (Sept 14).
“It was this ‘crack, crack, crack,’ and that was that,” said neighbour Bob Robert. “And [my wife] heard tires screeching.”
Nearby resident Anthony Riglietti described a similar scene.
“All of a sudden around 5 a.m., there were four or five shots. I sat up and thought ‘Is that fire crackers?” he said. “It’s a cliché to say you never really expect it to happen where you live, but here we are.”
Another neighbour, who declined to be named, said he was also woken by the rapid “pop pop pop” of shots being fired close together. “It was hard to count them. I’d say there were at least four or five,” he said.
The man said he then heard the screeching of tires and ran outside to find a Lexus SUV shot up with bullet holes. “I heard the radiator fluid pouring out of the front and then I walked around and I saw the glass of the back windshield crumbling.”
The neighbour said there was no one in the car or on the street.
The man said he believes the vehicle is associated to a man who rents a suite nearby.
“To me it’s kind of a warning. An I-know-where-you-live kind of thing,” he said.
Sgt. Peter DeVries, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP, confirmed police were called to a report of gunshots in the 1000 block of Cloverley Street early Wednesday. Officers arrived to find a parked Lexus SUV with windows broken by apparent gunshots. “Fortunately, no one was injured,” he said.
DeVries said the investigation is still in its early stages and police do not have information yet about either suspects or a possible motive for the shooting. So far, police also don’t know if the shooting is related to the Lower Mainland gang conflict, he said. “We have no information to say either way, at this point,” he said.
Members of the Lower Mainland’s Integrated Forensic Identification section attended the scene to process evidence of the shots fired, said DeVries. He added there may have been additional rounds fired that did not strike the vehicle. “If anyone finds anything they think might be related to the shots fired, please call police,” he said.
North Vancouver RCMP members had Cloverley Street blocked off near Brooksbank Avenue Wednesday, with officers collecting evidence from the scene and canvassing neighbours for potential witnesses and surveillance footage.
Neighbours said the shooting on the quiet residential street has left them feeling nervous. “There’s lots of young kids in the neighbourhood. It’s scary,” said one man.
Devries said police share neighbours’ concerns. “Anytime there’s a shooting in public, there’s a risk to the public and that is of great concern to police,” he said. DeVries said police have a “large team of investigators” on the case who are providing “a substantial response to this incident.”
Anyone with information who has not already spoken to police or who may have dash-cam or home surveillance video is asked to call the North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311.
