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A Regina woman’s Facebook post went viral after she set out to send a warning to family and friends about an attempted carjacking she experienced.
“It was more so just a service to my friends and family, if you’re going to come over, (I wanted them to know) this happened,” Jen Gibson said on Monday.
The carjacking allegedly happened around midnight Sunday as Gibson was driving down 4th Avenue to go to the pharmacy to get some medication for her sick baby.
“It was at the corner of 4th and Garnet and I saw, there was a big group of six, seven guys – I would say probably late teens.”
Gibson said they were standing on the corner as though they were about to cross the street, so she slowed down to let them cross.
“They ran out and surrounded the car. There was probably, like, three in the front and then one on each door.”
A situation that may have been frightening to some, Gibson said she wasn’t worried because she knew her doors were locked.
“They were making gang signs and trying to get me to open the doors.”
She inched the car forward and eventually drove away.
Gibson says she pulled over to phone the police, and as she did, saw the same group try the same thing on three different cars.
Having lived in the area, Gibson says this isn’t the first time she’s encountered something like this, adding the act seemed “ridiculous” to her.
“I was just thinking, like, I could obviously just drive away. It seemed quite silly to me, the attempt, it seemed like it wasn’t a great idea.”
On her way back home after picking up the medicine, Gibson says she encountered a second, separate group trying the same carjacking.
Gibson’s feelings about the experience changed when an officer arrived at her home to take her statement around 1 a.m. and told her the group had at least one gun.
Speaking to CJME News on Monday, the Regina Police Service confirmed that a group of three teenagers were arrested in the same area where Gibson’s vehicle was approached. While officers were investigating the first report, they got another call about a teenage boy threatening someone living on Retallack Street. Two 14-year-old boys and one 16-year-old boy are facing charges for failure to comply. One 14-year-old is charged with uttering threats and the 16-year-old is charged with possession of a weapon – a pellet gun.
Police can’t definitively say whether or not it’s the same group who attempted getting into Gibson’s car. Due to the time and proximity of the events and the description of the suspects, police say they are likely linked.
Gibson says the officer told her the group may have been taking part in some sort of gang initiation, based on the signs they were flashing to her. From her time living in the neighbourhood, Gibson says she knows the signs are associated with the group the Native Syndicate.
Her Facebook post meant to serve as a warning to family in friends had been shared more than 1,000 times by noon on Monday. Gibson was surprised to find out how far it had reached, but glad people were aware of what happened.
“I just wanted my friends and family to be safe,” Gibson said.
“I’m glad for it. I would love everyone to be safe.”
On Monday afternoon after getting 1200 shares, Gibson removed her original Facebook post and wrote a new one saying that she was concerned about safety.