Prince George records year's 2nd homicide after body found: RCMP

Prince George, B.C., has recorded its second homicide of the year after another shooting in the city's downtown.

Investigators say a man was found dead outside a credit union on the 800-block of Victoria Street — less than 500 metres from the downtown police station — following reports of shots fired shortly after 11 p.m. PT Tuesday.

The scene is on one of the busiest blocks of the city's downtown during the day, across the street from a Tim Hortons and a money lender. Several hotels and an outdoor shopping mall are all within 500 metres of the site, as well.

RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said in a written release that the homicide happened less than two weeks after an armed robbery at a city gas station that also sells guns.

Two people smashed a gun case and stole several firearms from the Hart Highway business, police said, the third time firearms had been stolen from that location in the past 12 months.

Cooper did not indicate if the robbery and homicide were believed to be linked.

"The increase in gun violence in Prince George, along with the recent theft of firearms from a gas station, is concerning," she said.

Police are also investigating an armed robbery of a different gun station/firearms dealer in December.

Tuesday's fatal shooting follows a Jan. 5 shooting at the Moccasin Flats homeless encampment, which led to a second-degree murder charge being laid against the suspect, who is being held in custody.

Eight homicides were recorded in Prince George in 2023, the highest ever in the city, all of which happened in the first half of the year. Police said five of those deaths were connected to the illicit drug trade.

In response to concerns about the violence the province has established a enforcement hub in the community, bringing police, prosecutors and probation officers together to target violent offenders.

The city has also earmarked additional budget dollars toward increasing the number of RCMP officers in the city and, last week, the federal government announced a $1.8 million fund to prevent gun and gang violence in the community.