Nelson Police say a man in his early 30s was assaulted in a “serious” home invasion in Lower Fairview.
The incident happened around 10:15 p.m. on July 26, but details weren’t released until today.
Sgt. Paul Burkart says the victim heard a commotion at his back door, including breaking glass. When he went to check on it, he was confronted by a group of men, some of whom were armed.
They assaulted the victim, causing “significant injuries,” Burkart said, before he managed to escape the group and run off. The suspects left in a waiting vehicle.
The man was taken to Kootenay Lake hospital by a friend and then due to his serious injuries, transferred to hospital in Trail. He’s since been released.
Burkart wouldn’t describe the exact injuries but said they were “certainly serious.”
“Although the attack was extremely brutal, police do not feel that Nelson residents are at immediate risk,” Burkart said. “Based on the information that has been gleaned thus far, investigators believe this was not a random attack and that the victim was known to his attackers.”
Burkart says police are “disturbed” by the seriousness of the assault as well as the time and place of the incident.
They’re concerned someone else could have stumbled into the situation and become a victim themselves. They say at that time of night and from the alley, the culprits could have mistaken a neighbouring house for their intended target, “again exposing completely innocent home owners to this type of violence.”
Burkart said they’re not exactly sure what weapons were used to inflict the victim’s injuries, but they weren’t guns. He wouldn’t say whether anyone else lived in the victim’s home but confirmed only one person was assaulted.
Burkart said they haven’t established a motive yet, “but we have theories that we’re following up on.”
Police aren’t sure how many suspects were involved, but believe they were all men. They’re asking for tips.