Houses and vehicles targeted in 4 drive-by shootings in Colchester County

It's become a pattern over the last month in Nova Scotia's ColchesterCounty a small dark-coloured car pulls up and someone inside rains bullets into a nearby houseorvehicle.

In that time, there have been four separate drive-by shootings within 22 kilometres of each other. Homes and vehicles in Debert, Onslow and Onslow Mountain have all been hit by gunfire, according to RCMP.

The RCMP have not confirmed that any of the incidents are connected, and won't discuss potential motives.

But most follow a similar scenario. Acar usually approaches a home early in the morning, generally after 3, then someone opens fire.

Most times, the perpetrator only shoots at a home, but on one occasion they shot at a home and a vehicle, and another time they only shot up a car, according to police.

Then the dark-coloured car takes off.

No one has been injured in any of the incidents, but the most recent shooting came close. Around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, bullets ripped through a house on Masstown Roadin Debert.

The gunfire came from a black car that stopped in front of the home.Between two and four shots were fired at the building, according to RCMP.

"It's particularly concerning that a fragment of one bullet was found in the kitchen of the home, so a round did actually penetrate the exterior wall and end up in the home," said Cpl. Jennifer Clarke, an RCMPspokesperson.

"If it's moving fast enough to go through a home, it certainly could cause some injury to someone."

Clarke said the attack on the home was not a random act.

When the car left it headed north down Masstown Road.

Police have so far not made any arrests in the most recent case, said Clarke.

"It's very risky and dangerous behaviour for someone to be firing rounds from a vehicle into a home, that is what we are focusing on. And if people have information we would definitely like to hear from them," she said.

Shootings beganin late June

The earliest drive-by shootings happened on the morning of June 23. Two homes less than three kilometres apart were targeted.

The first home hit was on West North River Roadin Onslow. It's unclear exactly when that home was struck, but police said later in the morning, around 5:30, another home was fired upon.

The second incident was on Adam MacCallum Road in Onslow Mountain. People were inside the house when it was shot. After the first rounds were fired, they told police a small dark vehicle came back toward their house and fired on a car parked in the driveway.

Two people were arrested in connection with the first incident but were released without facing any charges.

Empty car shot up

On July 13, bullets started to fly in Onslow again. This time, an empty car was fired at by a passing vehicle. It happened at 10:30 p.m. near a home on Elm Street. The initial investigation by RCMP showed the vehicle used by the shooter was an olderblack Volkswagen Golf.

The vehicle had a damaged windshield and the rear window was covered in plastic and secured by red tape.

Even with that information,RCMP are still looking for people to come forward with information to help them stop the shootings.

"We would certainly ask people to report any suspicious behaviour that they see in the area," said Clarke.

Information can be passed to RCMP by calling the Colchesterstationat 902-893-6820, anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477or online through the Crime Stoppers website.

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