British Columbia

15-year-old hospitalized after shooting at Prince George homeless encampment

RCMP say the overnight shooting happened inside a recreational vehicle parked at the Moccasin Flats encampment site.

Shooting happened inside recreational vehicle parked at the site, police say

An RCMP vehicle.
RCMP on the scene of a shooting at a Prince George homeless encampment in August 2021. On Wednesday, an investigation was launched following a shooting at the site that sent one person to hospital. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC)

RCMP say they are investigating an overnight shooting at a Prince George, B.C., homeless encampment that sent a 15-year-old to hospital.

The police force says it happened in a recreational vehicle that has been parked in the encampment, known as Moccasin Flats, at about 1 a.m. PT Wednesday.

The victim, a 15-year-old girl, was taken to hospital with "serious but non-life-threatening injuries," Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said in a news release.

Police say they don't believe there is any wider risk as a result of the shooting, and are seeking dashcam footage or witnesses to the event.

Moccasin Flats has been designated as the sole location in Prince George where overnight camping is allowed as part of the city's efforts to curb people sleeping in other areas.

The city is seeking a court injunction allowing it to remove the site after previously being prevented from doing so due to a lack of suitable shelter space elsewhere in the community.