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UPDATE: Windows at Chilliwack businesses damaged by pellet gun rounds

The small businesses face costly repairs as someone continues to commit acts of vandalism
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A post from a discouraged small business owner whose windows were hit by a pellet gun. (Facebook)

Chilliwack businesses are being targeted by someone with a pellet gun this week.

SinAmen Bun Co. Manager Shawn Gieselman arrived at work around 9 a.m. Monday morning (Jan. 16) to find four of the windows at 8810 Young Road had been hit by what looked to be pellet gun rounds.

“There are a lot of glass shards in here I still need to clean up,” he said. “It certainly looks like a pellet gun did it, and apparently it’s been happening a lot around town. They (RCMP) are trying to get good (video) footage so they have the proper evidence to make a case against whoever did this.”

On Tuesday (Jan. 17), the owner of Cozy Cotton Quilting at nearby 8982 Young Road made a Facebook post with a photo of windows damaged by pellets.

“Owning a business is hard,” the post read. “I’m sitting her bawling by eyes out. I got hit by the bebe gun biker! I’m trying so to make my business a success but things like this are really breaking my spirit.”

At SinAmen Bun Co., the pickup window facing Chilliwack Central Road got the worst of it, with spider-web cracks emanating from a hole in the middle. Two larger windows facing Young Road were also hit. They held up better, but Gieselman said all of the windows will need to be replaced.

“It’s not a lot of money, but for a small business it’s a big deal,” he noted. “The last time we had to replace a window it was between $400 and $500 bucks, and we just did it out-of-pocket because the insurance deductible is $1,000. For the big panes, I have no idea what they’ll cost, but that will impact our bottom line at a time when we’re struggling a bit.

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“Cinnamon buns are one of the things people say no to when their wallets are tight, and this makes it even worse. Bare minimum we’ll be out $1,000 bucks plus man hours.”

Gieselman said he felt frustration when arrived and saw the damage.

“But as far as being dejected or anything like that, no, this is where we live. Things happen and you’re always wondering when it’s going to be your turn,” Gieselman said. “It’s sad, but I would say we’ve actually been lucky. The way foot traffic comes through this parking lot, that we haven’t had more vandalism is amazing to me.”

This incident appears to be more about someone causing mayhem than trying to break in, but Gieselman said the business dealt with two successful and one attempted break in last year.

“The first one was in March and another one in April,” he said. “They got all of our operating cash, a couple tablets and things like that.”

The business has four cameras, including one that points directly at the shattered window. There’s a pretty good chance someone will be arrested and charged, but Gieselman doesn’t expect much to come of it.

“So we’ll just carry on doing what we do and hope it doesn’t happen again,” he said.


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eric.welsh@theprogress.com

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Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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