Kamloops RCMP have confirmed a shooting on the North Shore this morning which has left one man with serious to life-threatening injuries.

Staff Sgt. Simon Pillay says police were called to the 300 block of Alexander Ave., at 5:20 a.m. to a report of a disturbance, and he says police then determined there had been a shooting.

“We are at the preliminary stages of this investigation. The residence and people involved are known to police and are associated to the local drug trade. As such, the shooting is believed to be targeted,” Pillay says.

“However, any time criminals resort to using firearms in residential areas, it does pose a risk to the public at large.”

Pillay says the shooting victim is a 24-year-old man, and says his injuries are described at this point as serious-to-life-threatening.

Mounties are set up right now in front of 349 and 357 Alexander Ave., and also are blocking the back alley behind those homes with police tape.

Ken Fehr lives across the street from the police scene, and says he didn’t hear the shooting but says his dogs woke him up when it happened.

“I wasn’t sure what was going, and (police) have pretty much been here all day on both ends of the block,” Fehr says, adding police presence like this is not common for the neighborhood. “I haven’t seen it at that place, I’ve seen it at one or two places down the street but not that often. Years ago, not so much within the last four or five years.”

A next door neighbor to the police scene says he didn’t hear the incident either, saying he walked out front after 8 a.m. and many neighbors were gathered on the street.

Anyone with information on this morning’s incident is asked to contact police.

This is the first reported shooting in Kamloops since Feb. 15, when 35-year-old Jason Glover was gunned down and a woman was injured in a shooting at a home in Brock. Gordie Braaten and Hugh McIntosh were charged days later with murder and attempted murder, and both are awaiting trial.