Sister identifies slain Ladysmith dirt biker, asks recreational shooters to come forward

The sister of a man killed while riding a dirt bike in Ladysmith on Family Day has identified him as 52-year-old Simon Tozer and added her voice to those calling for recreational shooters who were in the area at the time to speak to police. (Sarah Bonar)

The sister of a man killed while riding a dirt bike in Ladysmith on Family Day has identified him as 52-year-old Simon Tozer and added her voice to those calling for recreational shooters who were in the area at the time to speak to police.

In a letter published in the Ladysmith Chronicle this week and shared with CTV News, Sarah Bonar provided a more detailed account of what happened near Timberland Forest Service Road on Feb. 21 than police have in their public statements about the case.

Bonar asked that her entire letter be published. It is embedded at the bottom of this article.

According to Bonar, Tozer was riding with his adult son and nephew in a single-file line up a secondary logging road shortly after 4 p.m. when the incident occurred. She writes that the group was about 1.5 kilometres uphill from the pit where off-roading enthusiasts tend to gather, and 1.2 kilometres downhill from the FortisBC natural gas facility in the area.

Tozer was at the back of the line, and suddenly "went down," according to Bonar, who says gunshots had been heard in the area earlier that afternoon.

Bonar writes that Tozer's son and nephew noticed what had happened "within seconds" and began first aid. Tragically, Tozer died at the scene.

An autopsy confirmed that he had died from "a single gunshot wound to the chest," according to Bonar's letter.

"No words can describe the horror, shock and pain of this event – it is life changing," Bonar writes. "Husband, father, son, brother, nephew, cousin, business partner, friend … he meant so much to so many; he was an exceptional man with so much more to look forward to in life. No words can express the rage we feel that someone took his life so needlessly."

She asks recreational users of the area to be aware of the danger, and asks anyone who has information about the case to contact the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.

"We are sharing this information with the hope that no one in our community will have to go through a similar tragedy," Bonar writes. "If you have reports of near misses in this area or notice suspicious activity, please report it to the RCMP."

The full text of Bonar's letter follows.