Man facing firearms charges as RCMP probe string of shootings in Prince George, B.C.

In this Oct. 8, 2012 file photo, pickup trucks are seen driving into Prince George, B.C. (Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Mounties in Prince George, B.C., say one man has been arrested and is facing multiple firearms-related charges as investigators continue to probe a string of targeted shootings in the city.

Officers executed a search warrant last week in the 1800 block of Sinclair Road, where several guns and ammunition were seized, the Prince George RCMP said in a news release Wednesday.

The search was conducted as part of the detachment’s investigation into a Feb. 3 shooting that sent two people to hospital with gunshot wounds. The incident occurred just after 3 a.m. at a home in the 2100 block of Redwood Street, marking the third targeted shooting in the city in as many weeks.

The search was conducted on Feb. 12 with assistance from emergency response team officers, who used distraction devices “to assist in gaining the attention of those within the residence,” the news release said.

Robert Donald Davis, 37, was taken into custody outside the home.

Davis has since been charged with five counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order and three counts of possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized, though police say the charges are not related to the Feb. 3 shooting.

Davis was held in police custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for Feb. 19, according to online court records.

Police say their investigation into the recent wave of violence in the city is ongoing.

“Community safety is our top priority and to this end our investigative support team remains focused on gathering all available information to help us determine who is responsible for these recent incidents,” Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said in a statement.

Following the Feb. 3 shooting, Cooper urged the public to be vigilant and said Mounties were stepping up patrols in response to the violence.

“Though the public was not the target, shootings in our city require that we all pay extra attention to what is happening in our neighbourhoods and report anything suspicious to the police for us to investigate,” she said in a statement later that day.

The shooting followed a Jan. 30 incident in which shots were fired at a residence in the 600 block of Ahbau Street. No injures were reported in that shooting.

An earlier shooting took place on Jan. 17, when a 37-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. That incident, which occurred on the city’s Porter Avenue, was also targeted, according to police.