A North Shore man is lucky to be alive after being shot in the hand following a confrontation with a group of men early Sunday morning.

Kamloops RCMP said the man was shot after he and a friend noticed another man hanging around their cars in a parking lot in the 1500-block of Tranquille Road.

The victim yelled at the man to leave but a short time later, the suspect returned with three other men.

As the victim approached the group, he saw a rifle and turned to run away, but was shot in the hand as he fled.

RCMP, along with a police-dog unit, were called just after 2 a.m., and a 22-year-old man known to police was arrested near the scene.

Investigators are still trying to determine what his involvement was in the shooting.

The man remains in custody on unrelated matters.

RCMP Const. Pat Nagy said the two groups were not known to each other.

Nagy said people should call police if they see something suspicious, not attempt to handle it themselves.

“This could have ended up a lot worse,” she said.

Police are still looking for the rifle used in the shooting and are asking for the public’s help finding the weapon.

Investigators believe the gun was discarded in the area between the 1500-block of Tranquille and Ord Road.

Police are requesting anyone who finds the rifle to call the RCMP and not touch the weapon.

Anyone with information can call the detachment at 250-828-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Safe for the season

This festive season, police will be keeping a close eye out for thieves looking to spoil the holiday cheer.

Kamloops RCMP have launched “Safe for the Season,” a first-of-its-kind program for the city which aims to reduce the number of thefts during November and December.

The joint initiative, involving regular RCMP members, auxiliary members and the city’s Community Safety Volunteers,

will be out in full force conducting random patrols in mall parking lots across Kamloops.

There will be a heavy focus on auto crime, personal safety and shoplifting.

Officers and volunteers will be talking to and educating the public on ways they can do to avoid making their vehicle a target.

A crime prevention “tip sheet” will be left on vehicles in parking areas.

The group will also be talking to store merchants on how to identify potential shoplifters and protect against pin-pad scams and fake credit cards.

While there are no hard statistics, RCMP Const. Cheryl Bush said police typically see a rise in thefts during the holiday season and the new program is one way to curb the problem.

She said it also lets the criminal element know police are going to be looking for them.

“If you’re going to choose to engage in this activity, chances are you’re going to get caught,” Bush warned.

She said if the initiative is deemed successful, Safe for the Season could make a return next year.

Among the tips to avoid being targeted by thieves, police recommend not leaving any purchases in a vehicle, or valuables such as phones, money, laptops or iPods.

Police also suggest parking in a well-lit area and ensuring you are well aware of your surroundings.

Stabbing on Cherry

A notorious North Shore building was the scene of another violent incident.

Kamloops RCMP were called to 435 Cherry Ave. in the early morning hours of Nov. 20, after two men were stabbed.

One man was found in the apartment with minor stab wounds, while a second person was located on Tranquille Road with serious stab wounds.

Both men were taken to Royal Inland Hospital.

A 22-year-old man with the more serious injury had surgery and was later released.

The RCMP’s serious crime unit has been called in to investigate.

Mounties are not sure what the motive for the stabbing was, and have had little co-operation from the victims or witnesses.

One of the men was a resident at the apartment and both were known to each other.

The apartment was the site of a recent axe attack and a raid by police which led to the recovery of thousands of dollars worth of stolen property.