Unstable, potentially dangerous device not linked to Kelowna shooting

A day after two men were shot on a Kelowna street and a bomb was discovered nearby, West Kelowna RCMP came across what appeared to be another explosive device.

On Sunday, Aug. 1, the RCMP were at a residence in the 2600 block of Cameron Road in West Kelowna as part of an ongoing investigation when they came across “a possible improvised explosive device.”

While at the residence, officers located what appeared to be a possible improvised explosive device. For safety reasons, officers evacuated the area and called the RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit. The device was safely removed from the scene by the EDU officer and disposed of at a secondary site. 

“Investigation has determined this device is not related to the shooting in Kelowna on July 31,”  S/Sgt. Duncan Dixon of the West Kelowna RCMP said in a press release.

“Examination of the device determined that it was someone’s attempt at a homemade battery pack, however it was unstable and potentially dangerous.”

This investigation is ongoing, and no further details will be released at this time

READ MORE: Kelowna RCMP say shooting victim 'threat' to community; explosive device found at crime scene

West Kelowna resident Kyle Gianis, who has criminal connections and has lived through other attempts on his life, was shot alongside an unnamed Surrey man July 31.

An explosive device was found at the scene of that shooting.

READ MORE: RCMP say explosive device used in targeted Kelowna attack marks 'dramatic escalation in violence'

On Sunday, West Kelowna RCMP called in its Explosives Disposal Unit to remove the device and dispose of that one at another location.


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Rob Munro

Rob Munro has a long history in journalism after starting an underground newspaper in Whitehorse called the Yukon Howl in 1980. He spent five years at the 100 Mile Free Press, starting in the darkroom, moving on to sports and news reporting before becoming the advertising manager. He came to Kelowna in 1989 as a reporter for the Kelowna Daily Courier, and spent the 1990s mostly covering city hall. For most of the past 20 years he worked full time for the union representing newspaper workers throughout B.C. He’s returned to his true love of being a reporter with a special focus on civic politics

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