Esquimalt residents ‘shocked’ by shooting, mayor says

A shooting in Esquimalt Sunday night that sent two people to hospital has left people understandably worried and looking for answers, Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins said.

Multiple gunshots were reported around 10:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of Lyall Street in what Victoria Police are treating as a targeted shooting.

“People in the community are certainly shocked,” Desjardins said. “We hope VicPD resolves this issue quickly so people can regain a sense of personal safety.”

“It would be nice to have more answers because there are all kinds of speculation about what happened.”

Desjardins said the residence involved has been “problematic” over the past two years, with problems erupting periodically, but added that Esquimalt is basically a safe area.

“It kind of shows that these things can be anywhere and for the most part you’ll never know there’s criminal activity going on.”

Marie Fidoe, one of the administrators of the Esquimalt Community Connection Facebook page, said the shooting led to “a lot of activity” on the page.

“Events like this generate a lot of interest in the community,” she said. “We do our best to remain factual and not subscribe to any rumors.

“It’s very worrying for the neighborhood, especially the proximity to Macaulay school.”

The Esquimalt Recreation Center is also less than two blocks from the scene of the shooting, Fidoe said.

The shooting prompted police to ask Island Health to temporarily place Victoria General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital on lockdown as a precaution.

The additional security measure was in place from 11:30 p.m. Sunday until 2 a.m. Monday.

No arrests have been made and police said no public updates were expected Tuesday.

The VicPD Major Crimes Unit continues to investigate and anyone with information is asked to call 250-995-7654 ext.

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