The autopsy has been concluded on the body of Darren Allen Munch, 25.
Police announced on Thursday that the obvious was officially confirmed, that Munch's life was taken as a result of gunfire.
"He died as a result of gunshot wounds. How many we are not saying, but gunshot wounds, plural," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Gary Godwin.
However, police cannot say, due to the sensitivities of evidence how many shots might have been fired, how many might have struck Munch, or what caliber the gun was. That, said Godwin, has to be protected if possible for the purposes of any future court action.
There are hopes for court action, in this case. Godwin said nothing about any possible suspects the investigators may have, but confirmed that Mounties had a lot of information to start with and more has come to their attention since the Saturday afternoon incident. The investigation is very active.
Part of the investigation is to determine if gang activity was involved. The Citizen has learned that Munch had a lengthy criminal history, but nothing that indicated organized crime participation.
"We are not saying he's in a gang, but gang activity might have been going on in the area," Godwin said.
A spokesperson for the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, an anti-gang specialist unit that aided local RCMP in a local crackdown 10 days ago, said the Munch incident - a fatal shooting on Oak Street at 3 p.m. - was on their radar screen immediately.
"The first thing that came to mind for us was wondering if this was related to our activity in Prince George," said Sgt. Shinder Kirk, a member of the CFSU. "I know we had an impact up there (working with) Prince George police, and our Prince George unit. We stirred up a hornet nest. But nothing has emerged to draw any such conclusions, we simply don't know the motive at all."
Munch was a relatively recent resident of Prince George. He is connected most to Fort St. John where most of his family still resides.
For more see the Citizen newspaper or digital edition online.
