Charges laid in connection to daytime shooting in downtown New Westminster: police
A 55-year-old man with an extensive criminal history has been charged in connection to a daytime shooting in downtown New Westminster that police believe was targeted.
James Christopher Cheeseman was arrested on April 25, one week after police say he “essentially opened fire” on a group of people on Alexander Street, sending one man to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police haven’t said whether Cheeseman was one of two suspects they arrested near the Royal Columbian Hospital—about a 45-minute walk from the scene of the lunch-hour shooting on April 18.
According to an earlier statement by the New Westminster Police Department, those two suspects were later released.
Charges against Cheeseman were approved on May 30, according to a NWPD release issued the following day.
He’s facing one count each of possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm; pointing a firearm; and possession of a firearm knowing that the serial number on it had been altered, defaced or removed.
“The Major Crime Unit worked diligently to collect evidence and work with Crown Counsel to obtain charge approval,” Staff Sgt. Jeff Scott of NWPD said in Thursday’s statement.
The release explains that numerous specialty units helped collect evidence, interview witnesses and canvass for CCTV footage.
“Our Victim Assistance Unit is working with people who were in the area to ensure they have ongoing support and services as this matter progresses through the court process,” Scott said.
Investigators believe this shooting was targeted, but aren’t connecting it to the ongoing B.C. gang conflict.
Online court documents show Cheeseman’s criminal history dates back to 2001 and spans multiple jurisdictions across the Lower Mainland.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.