"Improvised explosive device" and "targeted" attack are terms we've been hearing on the news for the past several years. The former term usually comes up in relation to Canadian soldiers being killed and/or wounded by makeshift, roadside bombs in Afghanistan; the term "targeted" attack normally arises in relation to gang-related violence in large cities, including Vancouver, Richmond and Surrey.
Both terms, though, showed up in a Squamish RCMP press release describing an explosion that obliterated a 1998 Jeep Cherokee late Saturday (Nov. 20) on Skyline Drive in Squamish. The vehicle, which was parked in a driveway, was - fortunately -unoccupied, and upon further investigation by police explosives teams, no other explosive devices were found. Police tell us the person is "known to police," but offered few other details. The matter, they said, is still under investigation.
A walk through the neighbourhood on Monday (Nov. 20) revealed that some living nearby heard the explosion, some didn't; generally, those living on the upper part of Skyline Drive (uphill from the blast site) didn't, while those on lower Skyline did.
All, though, were surprised to learn on the news the next day what had happened. Some expressed concern that something like a targeted attack using an explosive device had happened in their neighbourhood. But no one seemed genuinely fearful.
Far be it from us to fan the flames of fear. In an article about the incident in Tuesday's (Nov. 23) Globe and Mail, Squamish RCMP Cpl. Dave Ritchie said the person believe was targeted is known to police "because of the lifestyle they've chosen," not because of any specific criminal activity. The Globe went on to say that it seemed Ritchie was "trying to do his best to reassure residents the explosion was an isolated incident."
We hope that's true, that it was a one-off. We also hope the person targeted has gotten out of Dodge for his/her own safety - and, dare we say, the safety of the remainder of the community. Exploding vehicles, after all, have a tendency to inflict what military experts would call "collateral damage" - to those who might be walking nearby, to neighbours and other innocents.
That's you and I, folks. It's our family and friends. And it's scary to think even for a minute that an incident such as this could be the start of a trend.
The Globe article quotes Robert Gordon, director of criminology at Simon Fraser University, as having difficulty remembering a similar case in small-town British Columbia. "You'd think Squamish would not be a location for it."
Neither would we, but that's hardly reassuring. While we're waiting to hear about the outcome of the police investigation, rest assured that we'll be checking and double-checking to see whether our doors are locked at night.
- David Burke
