Regina woman says 'nerves are a little frayed' after a drive-by shooter put a bullet through her home
There's a patched-up bullet hole on the front of Suzanne LeBlanc's Garnet Street home in Regina. She's just thankful the bullet went through five sheets of drywall without hitting her.
"It's scary that American-style gang violence is coming to Canada," said a rattled LeBlanc, as she stood on the back deck of her house Sunday. "It is very scary to live through that, to have your house shot at, without having any inkling of why or who."
Police reported that a person in a silver-coloured vehicle shot at a house on the street and drove away.
The bullet came through the front of the house, spraying fragments onto the floor and into a clock, according to LeBlanc.
She feels sure the shot wasn't intended for her, but it isn't a calming thought.
"I think we're all concerned and [our] nerves are a little frayed."
Police responded to a number of firearm incidences over the weekend, which included three separate shots fired at houses on the 700 block of Garnet Street.
LeBlanc had been out for an evening with friends, but had come home and was watching TV in her bedroom at about 9:30 p.m.
"Then I heard a loud crack, and knew it was a gunshot automatically."
She ran outside, phone in hand, to check that her neighbours were OK. They reassured her they were fine and when she turned around she was shocked to see a bullet had gone through her own home.
She's been living on the street for 11 years and says it's deteriorated over the past few years. Neighbours say they've seen an uptick in drugs and gangs, and gunshots heard echoing across nearby streets.
"If it's at a distance, I rarely register it," LeBlanc said of gunshots. "It's like, 'OK whatever, it's not on my block, I feel safer.' But last night hit home."
It scares me for these kids that they're growing up with this violence.
- Suzanne LeBlanc
She's hoping anyone with information will call police or CrimeStoppers to help with the investigation.
Four hours after LeBlanc's house was shot at, police said a man was shot outside of a business on Broad Street, suffering life-threatening injuries. In that case, police say they believe the shooting was targeted.
About 10 minutes later, a person or people shot at two other residences across from LeBlanc's house on Garnet Street. Police said they believe both residences were unoccupied at the time.
LeBlanc says what concerns her the most is that children live in the neighbourhood.
"It scares me for these kids that they're growing up with this violence."
