Police are still searching for three men involved in a drive-by shooting in Sooke Tuesday night.
Two men were shot just after 9 p.m. in the 7300-block of Ella Rd.
Sooke RCMP have confirmed that all five men are in the drug trade business and well-known to police.
“We’re trying to establish exactly what happened there, but the early indication is this was a continuation of an earlier dispute between two rival groups,” S/Sgt. Jeff McArthur said.
One man was shot in the torso and remains at Victoria General Hospital in stable condition, while the other man was hit in the bicep and was released on Wednesday. Both men are from the Sooke area and in their 20s.
The key suspect in the shooting is 25-year-old Joshua Lefleur. He is described as 6’ tall, 190 pounds, has brown hair and green eyes. Lefleur is considered armed and dangerous.
The three suspects were driving a 2003 KIA Megentis, four door sedan, with Saskatchewan license plate number 404 JZB.
RCMP said the same car was reported stolen in Langford.
According to police, the three men could be anywhere on Vancouver Island.
“They did leave and go west on West Coast Road. We are alerting people in the small communities of Jordan River, Shirley and Port Renfrew to be on the lookout for the vehicle,” McArthur noted.
Police told CTV News no arrests have been made, but several individuals were interviewed as witnesses.
The mayor of Sooke is assuring homeowners in the area that the community continues to be a safe one.
“This does not happen in Sooke. This is an isolated, random incident,” Maja Tait said.
She had a clear message for the suspects at a press conference on Wednesday.
“You’re not welcome here. This type of behaviour, this type of activity is not welcome in Sooke,” she added.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Sooke RCMP at 250-642-5241 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
