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Transit police investigating 'projectiles' fired at crowded carriage in Metrotown

Transit police are investigating after projectiles fired at a passenger-packed SkyTrain car in Burnaby yesterday shattered a window. Sgt.

Transit police are investigating after projectiles fired at a passenger-packed SkyTrain car in Burnaby yesterday shattered a window.

Sgt. Troy Henyecz said investigators have little information, but he can confirm a train was pulling up to the Metrotown SkyTrain station on an elevated track when projectiles apparently launched from outside, at ground level, smashed the glass.

One witness from the train told The Province he was dozing and listening to music on his headphones when the train abruptly stopped, at about 3:30 p.m.

He said he snapped awake and saw about 20 fellow passengers in a state of panic.

A window was completely shattered with what appeared to be two bullets trapped inside the protective glass. No one inside the train was hurt, he said.

"I looked closely and I saw two, metal, round small-calibre bullets," said the man, who did not want his name published.

"It was shocking; I thought this isn't possible.

"Everyone was on their phones and saying 'those are bullets.' I thought this is like Beirut or something."

The man said it seems someone fired at the train as it approached the station. An announcement informed passengers the train was out of service, and security came and cleared the train. Passengers were loaded onto a new train and whisked away as if nothing happened, he said.

He added that he can't believe a public safety announcement about the incident was not made immediately.

"This is disturbing and I'm concerned if (officials) want to keep this hush-hush," the man said. "I think the public should have an explanation."

Henyecz said patrols were completed after the incident, and police have no suspects. Police can't rule out that a gun was fired at the train, he said.

"At this point it looks like (the incident) is isolated," Henyecz said.

Drew Snider, a spokesperson for TransLink, said company officials have no idea of what led to the smashing of the train window.

"It could have been stones, it could have been something else," Snider said.

A spokesperson from Metrotown mall said she is not aware of the incident, and no customers reported anything unusual yesterday.

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