Abbotsford police are struggling to understand why a family home occupied by four adults and two young children was the target of a drive-by shooting Friday night.
The home, located in the 32900 block of Gatefield Avenue, was fired upon at around 10 p.m. by a suspect or suspects who witnesses say fled in a black Ford F-150 XTR pickup truck.
Const. Ian MacDonald says four rounds struck the home, but three failed to penetrate the outer walls.
"The fourth bullet did ricochet and made its way into the living area," MacDonald said. "With six people in the house, it's really fortunate it didn't have more tragic results."
Police say the family has lived in the home for seven or eight years and has no apparent connections to gangs, drugs or crime. The motive for the shooting remains a mystery.
"It wasn't a home that we would've considered to be on our radar in any way," MacDonald said.
Authorities also say it's unlikely the shooting was a case of mistaken identity, as was the case in a Feb. 21 shooting on Hope Road that was intended for a high-ranking member of the Duhre Group gang.
The Abbotsford Police Department's Major Crime Unit is investigating the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 604-859-5225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
