RCMP seek truck shooting witnesses

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CHILLIWACK, BC – One man is charged with attempted murder after shots were fired at vehicles on BC highways 16, 37 and 97 over a 14-hour period that began Friday, March 24 at 8:30 pm — and police are looking for further witnesses.

Shots were reported in communities including Houston, Burns Lake, Vanderhoof, Clucuz Lake, Prince George, Quesnel and 100 Mile House. While there were no injuries during that initial shooting spree, bullets did hit radiators and windows.

Most of the shootings involved commercial vehicles, although one passenger vehicle was hit as well, RCMP Staff Sergeant Annie Linteau told Today’s Trucking. There have been 22 reports of shot trucks overall.

The manhunt intensified on March 25.

At 3:35 pm that afternoon, Chilliwack RCMP responded to reports of a man that had been shot on the community’s Ford Mountain Forest Road. The 39-year-old victim of that shooting stumbled across Canadian Forces personnel working at a range on Chilliwack Lake Road, where he was given first aid and transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He remains in hospital.

Police had been searching for this Dodge in connection to a series of shootings.The Integrated Police Dog Service and Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team arrested a suspect at 5:10 pm. Nearby, they found a 2009 four-door blue Dodge Caliber with Ontario plates, matching the description of a vehicle involved in the other shootings.

Peter Anthony Kampos, 38, has been charged with attempted murder. He is believed to be from Ontario.

“We are asking those who may have traveled Highway 37 on March 24, 2017 between Kitimat and Terrace, Highway 16 between Terrace and Prince Geoge as well as Highway 97 from Prince George to 100 Mile House to carefully examine their vehicle for suspicious damage”, says Linteau. “We are asking anyone who may have been the victim of a suspicious incident allegedly involving Mr. Kampos or the vehicle he was driving to contact their local detachment”. 

– An original version of this article has been updated to reflect a larger number of shootings, and the name of the charged individual.

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John G. Smith is Newcom Media's vice-president - editorial, and the editorial director of its trucking publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, and Transport Routier. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995.


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