An Abbotsofrd man was arrested Wednesday night (Oct. 5) after a woman was injured and a family dog died in a shooting in Maple Ridge.
Emergency responders were called to the 26000 block of Lougheed Highway at around 9 p.m. and discovered that a 52-year-old woman had been shot along with a dog.
The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance with what police are describing as non-life-threatening injuries.
But, despite emergency medical treatment, the family dog died.
About one hour, later the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team, along with Abbotsford Police officers, arrested a 38-year-old Abbotsford man – in Abbotsford – without incident. He is currently being held in police custody.
“The rapid and highly coordinated response and communication between police jurisdictions, integrated teams, the forensic identification support and Emergency Health Services was instrumental in the timely arrest of the suspect,” said Supt. Wendy Mehat, officer in charge of the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment.
Witnesses online describe multiple police vehicles in the area and racing to the area. One witness described police telling them to lock their doors and windows.
“In an instance where there have been reports of a shooting while police are determining what happened and investigating the incident they will always tell people in the public to go in doors for their safety as a precautionary measure,” said Corp. Julie Klaussner with the Ridge Meadows detachment.
“Police take public safety very seriously and will always err on the side of caution until they can determine what has happened in a rapid and fluid unfolding situation,” she said, adding that in this instance there was a large police presence that was scaled back once police determined what was happening and that safety to the public was mitigated.
This is the 11th confirmed shooting since the start of the year in Maple Ridge, confirmed Klaussner, four of which were fatal. Six shootings took place within a six-month span.
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This latest incident, said Klaussner, was isolated and is not connected to the Lower Mainland gang conflict.
“All parties involved were known to each other,” she said, adding that the investigation is still ongoing.
No further details are available at this time.
• With files from Neil Corbett
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