West Kelowna's Thai Fusion restaurant was riddled with bullets Friday, June 2, 2017.

(JENNA HICKMAN / iNFOnews.ca)

WEST KELOWNA - A West Kelowna restaurant was shot up by masked gunmen early this morning — the second time this week.

Eleven bullets were fired into the front of Thai Fusion, penetrating protective metal window shutters, at 5:11 am, June 2, according to West Kelowna RCMP. 

This is the eighth time in two and half years the West Kelowna restaurant has been seriously vandalized. However, whoever is behind the attacks seems to push the envelope a little farther every time. Back in October, the restaurant was forced to close for a few months after an arson attack, this time they stepped it up again.

"Someone is obviously trying to keep us from being open," owner Luke Sumpantarat says. "Their goal seems to be to keep us closed as long as possible."

On Sunday, May 28, masked men shot at the restaurant, with some of the bullets hitting chairs inside. Luckily, both shootings took place in the early morning before business hours, so no one was hurt.

Sumpantarat says he has eight cameras around his restaurant, but because the perpetrators are masked, identifying them is difficult.

"The RCMP have all the evidence I could give them and are trying to find out who these guys are. I just hope they catch them," he says. "For now, I mean there's not much I can do except keep about my business."

Although the restaurant was forced to close for lunch today, Sumpantarat was prepping for dinner this afternoon.

"I'll definitely take a bit of a loss, lunch is busy, especially on Friday's," he said. "But the windows I had to order after Sunday's attack arrived today, so that actually worked out well - as well as it could at least."

Given the history of the restaurant, the West Kelowna General Investigations Section is now taking lead on the file.

"“RCMP believe that there would likely be a high potential for witnesses in the immediate area during this time period and ask the public to remain vigilant,” said Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey in a press release. “RCMP ask that anyone in the vicinity of the 3000 block of Louie Drive overnight, especially within the hours of 4-6 a.m., to report any and all suspicious activity to police immediately."

RCMP are asking anyone with information to contact the West Kelowna RCMP General Investigations Section at 250-768-2880. Or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.

Eleven bullets punctured the front of West Kelowna's Thai Fusion restaurant early Friday morning, June 2, 2017.

(JENNA HICKMAN / iNFOnews.ca)

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