A man was shot with a pellet gun by someone in a passing vehicle early Monday morning.
The man had been sitting with his back to the road outside of a business at the 3200-Block of Douglas Street at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 31 when the pellet struck him in the face.
The Saanich Police Department responded, and said he did not require medical treatment but there was huge potential for serious injury.
Police said it is unclear if he or the business was targeted, and investigators are working to determine whether there was a motive for the assault and if the victim is known to the person who fired the gun.
Const. Markus Anastasiades of the Saanich Police Department told Black Press Media that footage of the incident was obtained, and police have since located the vehicle and registered owner; however, police have yet to confirm the involvement of the vehicle owner.
“While it’s not an official gun, it’s still a weapon and it’s a very serious charge – one that we don’t see used very often and certainly not an assault we see where the people involved are not known to one another,” said Anastasiades.
Police are aware of other similar recent incidents in the Greater Victoria Area involving a pellet gun.
Investigations are underway and police will share information with other agencies to determine if there is a connection to these incidents, said Anastasiades.
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