Wednesday February 17, 2016 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Shooting results in murder By Tim Petruk KAMlOOPS THIS WeeK
A suspect has been arrested in connection to a Feb. 7 shooting in celista that killed one person and injured two others. Richard Allen Williams was arrested on Thursday and made his first appearance in Kamloops provincial court on Friday afternoon. evidence presented during the brief hearing is bound by a court-ordered publication ban. Williams, 59, is facing a raft of serious charges including attempted murder, discharging a firearm with the intent to wound, maim or disfigure, assault with a firearm, aggravated assault and break and enter. charges relating to the fatality have not yet been laid but are expected this week. Cpl. Dan After the shooting, Moskaluk which occurred at a RCMP residence in celista, police said three men were sent to hospital. Two were reported to be in serious condition and one had minor injuries. We can confirm One of the men died as that this incident a result of his injuries on was not a random Thursday, Feb. 11. occurrence and “We can confirm that this incident was not a that the individuals random occurrence and involved were known that the individuals into each other. volved were known to each other,” cpl. dan Moskaluk said. “We are always concerned for the safety of the general public when incidents such as this occur in our communities; however, as is in many cases such as this one, we can state that the violence seen was not a random act directed at random people.” The deceased has not been identified. The other two shooting victims have now both been released from hospital.
LachLan LaBERE/OBSeRVeR
Response prompts concern: Rebbeca Kaiser and mother Verna Keyworth stand outside the entrance to Shuswap Lake General Hospital’s Emergency Room admitting area.
Victim critical of hospital Emergency: Officials defend policy regarding 911 phone calls. By Barb Brouwer OBSeRVeR STAFF
Rebbeca Kaiser and her mom Verna Keyworth want more than apologies; they want changes to how people are received when they seek help at the hospital. On the morning of Feb. 1, Kaiser awoke on the grounds of Salmon Arm Secondary’s Jackson campus, cold, disoriented and violently ill. She thinks it was about 6:30 a.m. Once she got her bearings, Kaiser noticed her roommate lying nearby and tried desperately to revive him. When she realized her efforts were futile, she headed down the block to the emergency entrance of Shuswap lake General Hospital for help.
This week School District #83 will be exploring the idea of charging parents for bus service. See A10. Salmon Arm’s only Highland dancer keeps the Celtic tradition going in style. See story on A18.
“I was still sick and freezing cold; I buzzed the emerg buzzer, someone asked what I needed. I told them I needed an ambulance and someone buzzed me in,” says Kaiser, noting a nurse opened a gate that closes off the triage desk at night. “I told her I needed someone to call an ambulance because my friend was passed out at Jackson, but she told me I had to use the pay phone,” said Kaiser. “I asked where it is and she said around the corner. I said ‘can’t you do it? do I have to use the pay phone?’” Kaiser says she went to the pay phone, followed by the triage nurse who told her to listen for a dial tone, press zero, then 911. “I had to talk on the phone, tell them my city, the issue and location,” she
says. “They asked me to go back up to Jackson to show them where the body was.” “I think it’s BS that someone gets treated this way when they are in dire need of care,” Keyworth adds angrily. “A convenience store clerk would have helped out more… It caused undue stress to the situation that was already stressful.” As insensitive as the response may seem to Kaiser and Keyworth, Peter du Toit, acute care director of Interior Health’s Thompson-cariboo-Shuswap area, says having Kaiser speak to 911 dispatch herself is not only policy, it is the best way to handle such a situation. “First of all, I’d like to pass on my See complaint on page A2
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Sports................A13-A15 Arts & Events ... A16-A19 Calendar................... A23 Vol. 109, No. 7, 36 pages