Several people were injured after a daylight shooting in Saanich on Tuesday.
Police said two suspects are now in custody, but officers are searching the area for an additional possible suspect.
Saanich Police have confirmed that officers responded to a report of armed suspects at a bank in the 3600 block of Shelbourne Street in the community north of Victoria.
There was an exchange of gunfire and multiple people were injured, police said, though the extent of those injuries is unknown at this time.
BC Emergency Health Services said they were called at 11:21 a.m. and seven ground ambulances and a street supervisor responded.
Five patients were transported to hospital, they confirmed but did not provide any update on their status.
Police are now evacuating homes and businesses in the vicinity of the scene of the incident due to the presence of a possible explosive device, the department confirmed on Twitter.
Everyone should avoid the area.
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Nearby resident Beau Schultz said they were just getting out of the shower when they saw officers outside his home.
“It started very simply with just the two police officers that I saw,” Schultz, who uses the pronouns they/them, told Global News.
“What I saw next was two people coming out of the bank and they were armed and also, I don’t really know how to describe how they were dressed, but you could tell they were trying to hide who they were.”
They said that’s when they started shooting at each other and they saw one of the two people leaving the bank being shot.
“Honestly, time is a blur,” Schultz said, adding that they saw smoke, people being beaten and dozens and dozens of shots fired.
“It’s all pretty overwhelming, honestly.”
Global News has contacted the Saanich Police, BC Emergency Health Services, the Coroner and Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes for more information.
RCMP said they were unable to provide comment at this time due to an active investigation.
More to come.
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Reference-globalnews.ca