VICTORIA -- The Victoria Police Department says that one man has been arrested after an arrow was shot into a car with two small children inside at a downtown intersection on Monday.

The incident occurred at approximately 11 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Cook Street and Pandora Avenue.

Brianne Winter and her husband were travelling to the store to pick up flowers with their two-and-half week old baby and three-and-a-half-year-old son when they heard a loud thud.

“We both looked at each other and thought it was a rock or something [that hit] the car, kicked up by another vehicle,” said Winter.

The Winter family was driving south on Cook Street and the arrow was shot from the east at their vehicle, striking the driver’s side door.

The family didn't realize what had happened until they got home and saw a 10-inch metal arrow lodged into the side of the car. 

“I was shocked, I was totally shocked,” said Winter.

“I didn’t understand why there was an arrow in the door or why anyone would shoot at the car. Then, of course, I realized that sound we thought was a rock was an arrow. We knew where it happened,” she said.

Winter says the situation could have turned our much worse and is grateful that no one was injured.

“We could have hit a vehicle, a number of people, a number of things at that intersection, the kids were in the car,” said Winter. “It could have been so much worse than it actually was.”

Police do not know exactly how the arrow was fired, but say that it would have required significant force because it was lodged into the SUV.

“We have no other indications this occurring anywhere else,” said Const. Cam MacIntyre of the Victoria Police Department.

“Obviously, we are taking this very seriously, there were two young children in the back of the vehicle and this is unacceptable.”

On Tuesday afternoon, police arrested a man at a hotel in the 300-block of Gorge Road East, following a tip from the community.

The man, who was known to police, is now facing recommended charges of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon and mischief.

He has since been released from police custody on a promise to appear in court. The investigation is ongoing. 

Anyone with information on the incident, or who may have dashcam footage of the area at approximately 11 a.m. Monday, is asked to contact VicPD’s non-emergency line at 250-995-7654 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.