David Jeffery Tremblay, 36, was sentenced to five years in prison for a drive-by shooting directed at a North Kamloops home in 2020.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/RCMP

A Kamloops man killed in a drive-by shooting this summer dodged a bullet two years earlier.

David Jeffrey Tremblay, born in 1985, shot at a North Kamloops home from an SUV in October 2020. Lawrence Lloyd Pooli was believed to be in the house, but he was eventually killed in a drive-by on Aug. 26. Tremblay was in the passenger seat of the SUV as a friend slowly passed a home at 224 Willow St.

Pooli was believed to be in the home, but the bullet from an SKS rifle hit a shed on the property. There was no strong evidence to suggest Pooli or anyone else was in the shed at the time, Crown prosecutor Anthony Varesi to Kamloops Supreme Court today, Oct. 3.

Varesi said at least one bullet was fired at the shed as a single casing was found near by. The same house was burned in a fire a few months later.

Tremblay shot the house just after 5 p.m., Oct. 1, 2020, in a drug-trade related retaliation after he and Pooli had a "disagreement," Varesi said.

Tremblay appeared in court via video as he is currently serving a six-year sentence on another offence.

Tremblay and Pooli have been associated in other criminal investigations in Kamloops, including a home invasion and a multi-jurisdiction drug trade investigation.

They were among three men charged in a home invasion where they were looking for a man who owed a drug debt. Only Pooli was sentenced for the September 2020 home invasion, which was just weeks before the North Kamloops drive-by.

Tremblay and Pooli are also among five people named in an ongoing, multi-jurisdictional drug investigation from New Westminster to Kamloops.

There was no update on the drug investigation when Tremblay was sentenced today and there's no indication on how Pooli's death would affect that investigation.

Although Pooli couldn't dodge the second shooting, Tremblay's plea agreement allowed him to dodge an attempted murder charge.

Tremblay was facing attempted murder, reckless discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to the reckless discharge count and will serve five years concurrent to the sentence he is already serving.

He has 40 months remaining on the previous sentence and today's ruling adds about 20 months to that sentence, defense lawyer Joe Killoran said.

Justice Sheri Donnegan accepted the joint submission from the Crown and defence attorneys.

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