The Nanaimo RCMP has one youth in custody and is searching for the second teen after a flare-gun was fired at a convenience store clerk Saturday night.
RCMP Constable Gary O’Brien says around nine o’clock Saturday evening two youth were shoplifting at a Circle K store on Departure Bay Road.
Constable O’Brien says, “just before they left one of the males fired off a single charged flare directly at the clerk, just missing him and it ignited the merchandise behind the counter.”
O’Brien says the clerk left the store and called 9-1-1.
Nanaimo firefighters needed about two hours to bring the blaze under control and the convenience store suffered heavy damage.
Constable O’Brien says investigators were able to identify the two male youth from store surveillance video and arrested one of them at about 4:30 pm on Sunday afternoon.
Police are continuing to search for the second youth.
O’Brien says no charges have been laid at this time.
