A family experienced a scare last weekend in the Mission area after a bullet landed near a five-year-old’s cup holder in the family vehicle.
Rachel McGill, the child’s mother, shared the story in a Facebook post on Wednesday (April 8).
The incident occurred on Sunday (April 5) at approximately 5:15 p.m. in the Lost Creek Forest Service Road area.
McGill was driving home with her husband and two young children with the windows down. She said a noise “almost like something falling out of a tree” was heard and a bullet landed in the cupholder next to her five-year-old.
“The bullet was still hot, moving and (doing circles) in place. My son instinctively reached for it but immediately pulled his hand back because it was too hot to touch. It came within an inch of hitting his leg. An inch. If it had landed slightly differently, my 5-year-old child could have been seriously injured or worse,” the post reads.
While an explanation wasn’t immediately clear, McGill said as they continued driving they spotted multiple groups of people actively shooting in the area.
She said no family should be put at risk because of irresponsible gun use in publicly accessible areas. McGill said responsible owners don’t act in this way.
“As a parent, it is terrifying to realize how close we came to losing our son over something so reckless and preventable. We are shaken, angry, and incredibly grateful that he is still here and unharmed,” McGill said.
In a news release, Mission RCMP said it appears the bullet entered the vehicle through an open window. Police say the family did not see who fired the shot and no suspects have been identified at this time.
Along with the City of Mission, the Fraser Valley Regional District, and the BC Conservation Officer Service, the detachment urged gun owners to educate themselves before coming to shoot along the forest service roads of Mission.
“The backcountry areas of Mission are known to be recreational destinations, but unfortunately, police are regularly called to these areas due to people illegally and unsafely discharging firearms,” RCMP said.
Police say over the past year, offenders in illegal shooting cases are often from elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.
Per the Fraser Valley Regional District’s “No Shooting Areas Map”, areas within 400 metres of forest service roads are closed to shooting. Police say that covers most of the vehicle-accessible areas around the forest service roads in the Mission area.
“Penalties can range from a fine under the Wildlife Act, to the seizure of firearms and a person’s firearms license, to criminal charges,” the release reads.
Local Mounties and BC Conservation Officer Service will be increasing patrols in the backcountry this spring, police say.