Greater Sudbury Police arrested four teenagers after a series of late-evening incidents in the downtown core in which occupants of a pickup truck allegedly fired BB/pellet guns at people, leaving at least one person struck by a pellet.
Multiple calls prompt search
Shortly before 10 p.m. on Aug. 10, police began receiving several calls reporting a pickup truck in downtown Sudbury from which occupants were discharging fireworks and pellet-style firearms at pedestrians. Officers conducted a search for the vehicle while additional calls kept arriving reporting further discharges at people in the area.
As the investigation continued, police say one person was struck by a pellet during the incidents. Investigators were able to obtain the pickup truck’s licence plate and at about 10:40 p.m. located the vehicle in the Chelmsford area, where four people were arrested and multiple pellet guns and ammunition were seized.
Charges and next steps
According to police, charges were laid under the Criminal Code of Canada. Those charges include pointing a firearm, discharging a firearm with intent, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Two of the people arrested are 18-year-old men; the other two are 17-year-old youths.
| Number | Age group | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 18-year-old men | Charged; names withheld pending court swearing |
| 2 | 17-year-old youths | Charged; identities protected under Youth Criminal Justice Act |
- Police located the pickup in the Chelmsford area about 40 minutes after the first calls.
- Multiple pellet guns and ammunition were seized at the scene.
- All four were released on undertakings and are due in court this fall.
"The names of the two adults cannot be released at this time as the information has not yet been sworn to through the court process. The two youths cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act."
Local impacts and context
Downtown residents and business owners have voiced growing concerns in recent months about disturbances after dark and the safety of pedestrians, particularly along main thoroughfares. Incidents involving imitation firearms or pellet guns present challenges for both police and the public: such weapons can cause injury and are often difficult to distinguish from real firearms from a distance.
While the investigation into the Aug. 10 events focused on the occupants of a single vehicle, the episode has prompted renewed attention on patrol patterns and rapid-response protocols for neighbourhoods in and around Sudbury’s core. Police have not indicated any further arrests are expected in connection with the events, nor have they released additional details about the injured person’s condition.
Legal and public-safety notes
Under the Criminal Code, offences such as pointing a firearm and discharging a firearm with intent carry serious consequences and are treated as indictable or hybrid offences depending on specifics and Crown decisions. The use of pellet-style weapons to threaten or injure people can be prosecuted under these provisions if the weapons are treated as firearms in context or if they are used as weapons to commit assault.
Police encourage anyone with information about the incident or who may have dash-cam or video footage from the area around the time of the disturbance to contact Greater Sudbury Police. Members of the public who witness similar behaviour are advised to keep a safe distance, seek a secure location and call 9-1-1 rather than attempting to intervene.
All four people arrested were released on undertakings with scheduled court dates in the fall. Further details will be subject to court processes and, for the two youths, protections under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
