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(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)

A Kelowna man is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a group of people with a weapon at Orchard Park mall yesterday, and some unintended victims were transported to hospital.

Police received multiple 911 calls and reports of multiple victims of an assault with a weapon inside the mall, Sept. 29, just after 4 p.m., according to an RCMP media release.

When officers arrived multiple victims, including families with children as young as 2 years old, were being treated by Emergency Health Services. Officers determined one victim had been assaulted in the mall by a group of men with a weapon, RCMP said. The intended victim and the group of men were not known to each other prior to the interaction.

RCMP do not say what kind of weapon was used, but a media release from the Orchard Park Shopping Centre said it was bear spray.

The suspects had fled, but one was located near the mall and arrested without incident with the assistance of a mall security guard.

READ MORE: Man charged with assaulting a Victoria police officer who was struck by vehicle

A large group of people were unintended victims of the assault but are believed to have survived the incident with non-life-threatening injuries, though some of the victims affected were transported to hospital for medical treatment.

“The mall was very busy at the time of the incident and we are looking for any witnesses or cellphone videos that may have been taken before, during or after the alleged assault,” Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Const. Solana Paré said in the release. “We are asking anyone who witnessed something, or who might have cellphone video footage of the alleged assault to contact us.”

The suspect, a 21-year-old man from Surrey, was released on strict conditions to appear in court at a later date. The investigation is ongoing to identify the other persons involved.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. If you wish to remain completely anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or by leave a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net.

— This story was updated at 2:50 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 to clarify the weapon used was bear spray.

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