Abbotsford man arrested, charged in connection with March encampment shooting

Homicide investigators say a 39-year-old man from Abbotsford, B.C., has been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting at a Whatcom homeless encampment in March.

According to a news release from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, James Jared Yake has been charged with “manslaughter with a firearm in relation to the homicide of 69-year-old Wayne Versfelt of Abbotsford.” The arrest happened on Saturday, and IHIT has confirmed that the two men knew each other.

The shooting took place on March 23, when police were called to reports of gunfire at the encampment near the Whatcom Road Park and Ride, next to the Trans-Canada Highway, at 11:11 p.m.

Police found Versfelt suffering from gunshot wounds, and emergency responders brought him to hospital for treatment, but he did not survive.

At the time, Sgt. Paul Walker of the Abbotsford Police Department said one man was transported from the scene with a life-threatening gunshot injury and later died.

Nearly six years prior, Versfelt had his ear chopped off with a machete in a vicious attack at a different encampment in the city, but investigators say his shooting is believed to be an isolated incident.

Versfelt was previously confirmed to live at the Whatcom encampment, but IHIT hasn’t reported whether Yake lived there as well.

The homeless encampment was considered by some to be the most dangerous in Abbotsford, and the province took steps against it in May, when Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said it was “well over time” to shut it down.

IHIT says it won’t have any further information on this investigation as it is now with the courts.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ian Holliday, Todd Coyne and Michele Brunoro