Nanaimo shooting sends man to hospital

Lights on a police cruiser are pictured in this file photo.

Victoria -

A man and a woman were arrested and another man was treated for injuries after gunfire erupted in Nanaimo over the weekend.

Police say multiple 911 calls came in around 1 p.m. Sunday. The callers reported shots fired at a derelict home near the intersection of Nicol Street and Needham Street.

Police say the home is known to be used by people involved with drugs.

The RCMP responded within minutes and searched the interior of the home but found no one, according to police.

Approximately 20 minutes later, officers were told that a man had arrived in hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening gunshot injuries. The man was treated and released.

Police later arrested a man and a woman who were driving southbound on Nicol Street. The two people are known to police and were later released from custody but their vehicle was seized as part of the investigation.

Investigators believe the shooting was a targeted incident and police believe the victim and perpetrators are known to each other.

“The use of firearms, however, and the blatant disregard for the safety of individuals in our community is troubling, and can be attributed to the drug culture in Nanaimo and the violence associated with it,” said Const. Gary O’Brien in a statement Tuesday.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.