Suspect charged with 2nd-degree murder 1 year after Smithers, B.C., shooting

A sign welcoming people to Smithers, B.C., is seen in this photo from 2018. (Shutterstock.com)

Mounties in northwestern B.C. say they have arrested the suspect in a fatal shooting almost exactly a year after it occurred.

Sylvester Gordon Joseph, of Smithers, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to the shooting, which occurred on Sept. 8, 2023, according to a news release from the B.C. RCMP's North District Major Crime Unit.

That evening, Smithers RCMP received a 911 call reporting a man had been shot in a vehicle outside a home in the town, police said. Officers responded and located the victim at the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The charge against Joseph was laid on Friday, police said, and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The same day, he was "arrested without incident" in Kelowna, according to Mounties.

"The North District RCMP Major Crime Unit along with members of the Smithers RCMP worked diligently in gathering all evidence and obtaining charge approval in this matter," said Staff Sgt. Kris Clark, in the release.

Online court records indicate Joseph was born in 1991, meaning he is either 32 or 33 years old. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 11 in Williams Lake.