Police looking for shooter after 2 homes in 2 southwestern Ont. communities damaged by gunfire

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating after homes and vehicles in two small Oxford County communities were damaged by bullets.

Both shootings occurred overnight, and the damage wasn’t noticed until the following morning, police said. No injuries were reported in either case.

“It seems that what was being targeted were the vehicles in the driveway and the garage area of the home,” OPP Const. Patti Cote told CTV Kitchener on Monday.

Investigators have not determined if the same people are responsible for both shootings, but a light-coloured pickup truck was seen fleeing both scenes.

HOME IN PLATTSVILLE HIT

The first shooting happened on March 6 on Fennel Street in Plattsville. The homeowner, whose residence and vehicles were hit, told CTV News he had not idea why his house was targeted.

He said four people were inside the home sleeping when the shots were fired.

At the time, police said there were “no concerns for public safety.”

MOUNT ELGIN HOME SHOT AT

Then five days later, someone fired several rounds into a home on Peggy Avenue in Mount Elgin, Ont. Vehicles in the driveway were also hit.

This time, police said the public should “be aware of their safety at all times and… contact police to report suspicious vehicle or individuals.”

Asked about why OPP initially said there was no concern for public safety, Cote said police believed that was true at the time.

“In the first incident we believed there was no threat to public safety at that time, of course not knowing that a second incident was going to occur and of course cannot predict if there’s going to be any further incidents – of course we hope not,” she said.

POLICE APPEAL FOR VIDEO

Cote said OPP officers will be stepping up patrols in the affected communities as they work to determine who is behind the gunfire and if the shootings are random or targeted.

“It's definitely not something that happens on a regular basis for sure. We're working diligently with people that we have as far as resources,” Cote said.

There was a shooting in Brantford on Thursday in the Bowery Road area, but police said there is no indication the incident there is related to the shootings in Plattsville and Mount Elgin.

Police are asking residents who live in the area of either shooting and have home surveillance systems to check their cameras and contact police with any information.