Nanaimo man charged in shooting at downtown homeless camp
A 37-year-old Nanaimo man has been charged in connection with a shooting earlier this month at a homeless camp in the city's downtown core.
Craig Truckle of no fixed address was arrested without incident around 11 p.m. Wednesday by Nanaimo RCMP patrol officers. He was charged the following morning with one count of pointing a firearm without a lawful excuse.
Clint Smith, the 49-year-old owner of a Nanaimo auto repair shop, was shot in the stomach and seriously injured on March 12.
He and five other people were at a homeless encampment in Barsby Park, trying to retrieve property that was stolen from Smith's business.
Jeff Callaghan was with the group trying to get the stolen items back when he said someone came out of a tent with a rifle.
"We managed to get all the stolen property together and when we got up the hill they were shooting at us," Callaghan said the day after the shooting.
In a statement posted to social media on Thursday, Smith said he has undergone three surgeries since the shooting and had a portion of his colon removed.
"The professionals at NRGH [Nanaimo Regional General Hospital] worked furiously to save my life," Smith said, adding that he was temporarily put in a medically induced coma.
"The staff that have taken on the task of keeping me alive are literally nothing short of miracle workers. I feel that I am alive and can post this is wholly due to their teamwork, understanding, and compassion," he added.
"Please let me be the last person shot in Nanaimo."
The Nanaimo RCMP have warned residents against such acts of vigilantism in the wake of the incident.
"If the police had been contacted, we could have gone in and possibly resolved this situation safely," Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson Const. Gary O'Brien said.
"The one thing we can't accept is people putting themselves in harm's way. This is a situation where somebody could have died as a result of stolen property."
Truckle is scheduled to appear in Nanaimo provincial court on Tuesday.
The Nanaimo RCMP said Monday it would not provide more details on the matter, citing a publication ban in the case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.