Skip to content

West Kelowna homicide victim identified

Joel Pennell is being identified as the man who was shot and killed on Friday night.
8379876_web1_170905-BPD-JOELPENNELL
Photos pulled from social media accounts.

The man killed in a Friday night targeted shooting has been identified as Joel Pennell.

Pennell owned a company called Traphouse Skateboards which was registered to the West Kelowna address on McTaggart Road that police were called to with a report of shots fired. He was found dead in a vehicle in the driveway.

In a press release issued hours after the shooting Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey deemed the death a homicide and said that the victim lived a “high-risk lifestyle” and “was well known to police.”

RELATED: Death was a targeted homicide

In fact, court records show Pennell faced a dozen separate drug trafficking charges and weapon-related charges in 2011.

The Prince George Citizen wrote in 2013 that Pennell had been dealing drugs for about a year when he was arrested on charges stemming from that activity. At that time he was also a student at the College of New Caledonia studying business.

While at the college, Pennell fell in with some people involved in drug trafficking and began to deal himself .

The Citizen reported that the sentencing judge found Pennell to be “significantly motivated by personal gain, was involved in mid-level drug trafficking of cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy and was found with a sawed off shotgun when arrested, albeit unloaded at the time.”

They also noted Pennell had “solid support from his family, and had moved to the Okanagan where he started up two new businesses with the help of a partner.”

While in the Okanagan, Pennell built a reputation for being a “good kid” to neighbours in the West Kelowna neighbourhood where he died. Sources have said he was expected to be married this month.

Friends of Pennell are mourning his lost on social media.

Related: Victim of suspected shooting described as a ‘good kid’

Jay Provencher, who lives across the street from the McTaggart Road address said while he didn’t know Pennell to live at the home, his family did.

“He was a great kid,” said Provencher. “He’s helped my wife shovel the driveway, he helped my next door neighbour shovel the driveway. They helped out when they were living here.”

“It’s pretty heartbreaking to be honest with you. It’s pretty surreal, what happened in this little neighbourhood. It’s something you never imagine would happened.”

The RCMP is currently searching for a white four-door Volkswagen sedan believed to be involved with the shooting.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the West Kelowna RCMP General Investigations Section at 250-768-2880. Or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting tip to CRIMES.

8379876_web1_170906-KCN-shooting-homicide_1
A shooting in the Glenrosa area is currently under investigation. Image: Kathy Michaels