Castlegar RCMP are investigating a incident involving a man with a firearm who allegedly confronted a group of teens during a wilderness camp, leading to damage to their equipment.
The detachment received reports of the incident on June 18, just before 9 p.m.
A group of teenagers and adults were staying overnight in a rural area as part of a wilderness camp when they were allegedly approached by a man holding a long-barrelled firearm. The man reportedly told them to stay off his property.
The group told police they had heard what sounded like two gunshots before the encounter.
Police say the man did not threaten the group or point the firearm at them.
Officers arrived and spoke with both the campers and the man, who was no longer in possession of the firearm.
The man told police that he and his partner had been walking on his rural property with the firearm for protection from wildlife. He said they came across a tent, holes dug in the earth, scattered items, and trees that had been cut down.
Believing the camp to be abandoned, the man said they began taking it down – at which point they heard a group approaching.
They then met the teens and adults and learned the camp was not abandoned but rather recently set up by the group on his property, unknowingly.
The group agreed to remove their camp, but upon returning to the site, they noticed their tent had been cut and some of their equipment appeared to have been shot at.
The group then packed up and left the area, calling police again to report the property damage.
Police returned to the site and noted damage consistent with a gunshot.
Officers re-interviewed the man and his partner, who both denied causing the damage intentionally. Instead, they claimed the firearm was discharged toward a bear that they saw while removing the camp.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Castlegar RCMP at 250-365-7721.
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