Reports of men with shotguns force full-on RCMP response

“WE MAY NEVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED”

KAMLOOPS – The RCMP weren’t going to take any chances after a call about three men wearing balaclavas entering a home on Collingwood Drive armed with shotguns Sunday morning.

Police arrived at the house in the 1500 block Collingwood Drive at about 8:46 a.m. They quickly set up a perimeter, evacuated the people living in the houses next door and tried to gather more information.

“We tried to make contact with the people inside the house. We tried to make contact with the original caller. But that wasn’t working out.” RCMP Sgt. Ed Preto said. “We tried to call them on the loud hailer." 

No one answered or came out, so along with a police dog, the officers went in.

The two men and two women inside seemed surprised to see the police and claimed they didn't know anything about the armed men.

Both the person who called the RCMP and the four people living in the house are “known to police.” That means they’ve possibly had negative dealings with the RCMP. They might have criminal records or be a part of an ongoing investigation.

The area is known for drug related crime.

“The public doesn’t have to be concerned… it’s a targeted event,” Sgt. Preto said. “It’s probably connected to the lifestyle of the people living at that rental property.”

Preto said he knows there’s more to the story, “Something may have happened but they’re not telling us.”

For all he knows there may or may not have been three men with guns. There may have been no firearms at all. 

“We haven’t been able to confirm or refute the firearm aspect,” Preto said. “We may never find out what happened.”

Preto doesn’t think it was related to Halloween shenanigans.

Police were on the scene for over two hours.