A 24-year-old West Vancouver resident will make his first appearance in court on May 28 in connection with the shooting of a black bear cub near Whistler Secondary School.
The suspect is facing two charges under the Criminal Code including careless use of a firearm and unsafe storage of ammunition.
The Conservation Officer Service of the provincial Ministry of Environment is also considering charges against the individual, but a ministry spokeswoman did not confirm what those charges would be, saying the matter is still under investigation.
The RCMP previously reported that the suspect would be facing three charges under the Wildlife Act: hunting during a closed season, discharging a firearm in a no shooting area and hunting without a license.
The shooting took place on May 8 near the Valley Trail at about 8:30 a.m. as students and staff were arriving at Whistler Secondary School.
A witness saw the bear near the school and later heard what she thought were two gun shots before seeing a male getting into a vehicle with what she thought was a shotgun. She then took down the vehicle’s licence plate and called police.
The suspect was found within 15 minutes of being reported to police He was arrested without incident. He has yet to be identified.
