Mission – MARCH 23 UPDATE – Police in Mission seized BB guns from two groups of youth, hours apart on Saturday night, in the vicinity of a fair operating in a mall parking lot over the weekend.
On Friday March 21, Mission RCMP notified the public that they were investigating a social media post about a shoot-out set to occur at the fair the following day. Officers worked diligently to identify the source of the warning, and by Saturday morning, investigators had spoken with the youth who created the post, the youth involved in the alleged conflict, and their parents. Officers learned that as part of the conflict, one youth had allegedly used a BB gun to shoot at another youth over the past week. The youth involved in the conflict confirmed that he would not be attending the fair. Mission RCMP scheduled additional resources to maintain a presence in the area of the fair throughout the weekend as a precaution, and to help the public feel safe in attending.
On Saturday March 22, around 5 pm, Mission RCMP received a report of a group of youth running around with BB guns in the parking lot surrounding the fair. Police caught up with the group and detained all of them for investigation. One of the youth – a 16-year-old – was found to be in possession of a BB gun that closely resembled a legitimate handgun, as well as a balaclava. That youth was arrested for possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and was later released to his parents, with a pending court date.
Three hours later, police received a report that a group of youth on a transit bus were headed to the fair, and were in possession of bear spray, knives, and a BB gun. Mission RCMP located the bus as it was arriving at the parking lot where the fair was setup, and detained three youth for possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. One of those youth – a 14-year-old from Mission – was part of the same group that had been detained hours earlier. Officers confirmed he was in possession of another replica BB gun, which was also seized by police. Police note that none of the youth that officers dealt with near the fair on Saturday were the same ones associated to the original comment on social media
These groups of youth clearly had no regard for the family-oriented event taking place, says Corporal Harrison Mohr with Mission RCMP. Carrying bear spray and replica handguns under these types of circumstances is unlawful and unsafe, and can lead to an arrest and criminal charges. We encourage the public to immediately call police if they see someone handling any kind of weapon or imitation weapon in a public place, so we can intervene before someone gets hurt.
Parents are encouraged to talk with their kids about the risks of carrying bear spray or imitation guns in public. While there are times when possessing those items is legal – such as possessing a BB gun in your home, or bear spray in the wilderness – possessing those items in other circumstances – such as when you are in a busy public area – may lead to weapons charges. It’s also very unsafe, as members of the public or police may not know that it is a BB gun, and police have to treat it as a real firearm until they can confirm otherwise. Bear spray also cannot be carried for the purpose of using it on another person in self-defence.
Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries from these incidents. The investigations are still ongoing, and Mission RCMP’s Youth Liaison Officer will be following-up in order to try to resolve whatever underlying conflicts led to this behaviour.
MARCH 22 UPDATE – Mission RCMP provided an update to the media release that was issued on March 21, about the social media post related to the fair currently operating in Mission (West Coast Amusements are at the Junction Shopping Centre in Mission for spring break from March 20th to March 23rd, offering rides, games, and food):
Investigators from Mission RCMP have spoken with the persons associated to the social media comments – including the youth who created the post, the youth involved in the alleged conflict, and their parents. At this time there is nothing to indicate that any act of violence will be carried out, and the youth who is alleged to have been the source of the threat will not be attending the fair. There is no indication of any risk to anyone planning to attend the fair.
In order to ensure the public feels safe in attending, Mission RCMP have scheduled additional resources throughout the weekend, and will continue to maintain an increased presence in the area of the fair. Thank you to the community for your patience and understanding while this matter is being investigated.
Original Release:
Mission RCMP are currently investigating a post on Facebook alleging a shoot out
is set to take place at a fair currently operating in a mall parking lot in Mission. The post was brought to the attention of police by numerous members of the community, who became concerned after seeing the comments online on March 21.
Investigators have spoken with the person who made the post, and are continuing to follow-up with other persons related to the matter. Police confirm that at this time, the credibility of the threat has not been confirmed, however there have not been any recent increases in gang activity or gun violence in Mission.
As a precaution, Mission RCMP will be increasing patrols around the fair, and have also spoken with organizers of the fair, who already had their own security staff in place. Anyone who sees anything suspicious around the fair should immediately notify security personnel, or call 911. Anyone with further information about this matter is asked to call Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161, file 25-3101.
