(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS — Police in Kamloops are dealing with the aftermath of several violent crimes and homicides throughout the city. After the city’s most recent shooting on the North Shore last Friday resulted in one death, Kamloops RCMP are updating the public on the numerous cases they are working on, including one homicide which may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Kamloops like many other cities across British Columbia is in the middle of an opioid crisis largely fuelled by organized crime, according to an RCMP media release issued today, Feb. 19.

“We have seen a trend in Kamloops of high levels of violence occurring with the local participants of our drug community,” Cpl. Jodi Shelkie says in the release. “It is not safe to be a drug trafficker in Kamloops right now.”

Kamloops RCMP say one of the first violent incidents connected to the local drug trade started back in October when Troy Gold, who was connected to the local drug trade, was reported missing and shortly afterward it was discovered he had been killed. This investigation is still progressing and suspects have been identified, RCMP say.

On Dec. 6, 2018, police, including the heavily armed Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant of a local business. Two men, Cameron Cole and Charles Patrick, were both arrested and charged with numerous offences including possession of firearms, explosives offences and property offences.

Last month, Cody Mathieu and Rex Gill, were murdered outside of Kamloops hotels. Mathieu was a participant in the local Kamloops drug trade as were the suspects. However, police are now saying Gill had no known connection the local drug trade and believe this might have been a case of mistaken identity. Police say suspects have been identified and the Serious Crime Unit investigators are treating this as a priority case.

On February 14, police responded to a robbery, forcible confinement and kidnapping case. RCMP say the victims and suspects were all connected to the local drug trade. Justin William Daniels was arrested in Kelowna and has been charged with armed robbery using a firearm and forcible confinement.

Police continue to work on identifying and arresting additional suspects.

On Feb. 15, police responded to a shooting at a North Shore residence where two people were shot. RCMP say both victims were participants in the local drug trade. One victim, Jason Glover, has died from his injuries and police will not comment on the other victim’s condition. This investigation is still in its early stages.

Police say many of these crimes are being committed by people against their own local allegiances.

“Not all violence is one group against another,” Shelkie says. “The group supplying your drugs today may be the same ones who will kill you tomorrow.”

Police say they are continuing to target those who pose the greatest risk and commit acts of violence throughout the community.

“Crimes like this will attract police to your drug organization,” she says.

Kamloops RCMP say they are working “aggressively” on these investigations to identify, target and investigate individuals with ties to the ongoing gang conflict.

Local police are also working with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.

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