Surrey man charged after firing gun inside home while drunk

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A Surrey man is facing several charges in connection with firearms, after allegedly firing a gun inside his own home recently.

At around 4 am on December 18, Surrey RCMP officers were deployed to the 8900 block of 156A Street after receiving a report of a gun shot heard approximately an hour earlier.

Upon their arrival, officers found two homes “with bullet holes in them.”

In one of the homes, they also found 56-year-old John Newman, who was “intoxicated and in possession of a firearm.”

He was arrested at the scene.

Following his arrest, police obtained a search warrant for the home Newman was found in.

The search turned up a total of seven firearms – including one that had been reported stolen in Coquitlam – along with a small quantity of illicit drugs.

Newman was released on bail on January 3, after being charged with a number of offences that included:

3 Counts of Possession of a Prohibited/Restricted firearm with Ammunition
2 Counts of Careless Use of a Firearm
1 Count of Possession of a Firearm Without Being the Holder of a Licence and/or Registration
1 Count of Possession of a Firearm Knowing There is No Licence and/or Registration
1 Count of Contravening a Regulation Regarding the storage of Restricted Weapons
1 Count of Possession of a Controlled Substance

“Thankfully, no one was injured in this incident,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Corporal Scotty Schumann.

In addition, he said, “the seizure of seven firearms improves safety in the community.”

Police noted that this particular incident “is not related” to the gang and drug conflicts in the Lower Mainland.

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