Four men shot over weekend
Separate shooting incidents across the Lower Mainland result in one death and three admissions to hospitals
GREATER VANCOUVER Three separate shootings in three municipalities over the weekend left a 23- year-old Vancouver man dead, a New Westminster man in critical condition and two Burnaby men in hospital.
The unidentified Vancouver man — the city’s 16th homicide victim this year — died after he was shot early Saturday morning, at 3:30 a.m., in the 300 block of Richards Street.
Police have arrested a 28- yearold Vancouver man, whose name has not been released, in connection with the fatal shooting.
Const. Tim Fanning said the suspect was involved in a fight with the victim after the suspect fired a shot from a handgun into the air out on the street where a number of people had gathered after the bars closed.
Moments later, the younger man was killed when a second shot was fired.
The suspect was picked up by police a short time later in an alleyway in the 500- block of Dunsmuir. A handgun was recovered.
Neither the suspect nor the victim had had previous dealings with police.
In New Westminster, a 38- yearold man was clinging to life Sunday after he was shot inside his ground- floor apartment in the 600-block of Blackford Street in New Westminster at about 3:30 a.m. that morning.
Police said it was unclear whether the shots that hit the man were fired from inside the apartment, or from out on the street.
Neighbours say they heard more than a half- dozen shots fired.
“I’m looking at the crime scene right now and there are eight cones on the street,” said neighbour Ilona Schachner, referring to police markers used to identify individual bullet casings.
Police said the injured man was in critical condition and his relatives were being contacted.
Neighbours in the apartment said there have been problems with the residents in one ground-
floor apartment.
Police would not release the identity of the shooting victim.
Staff Sgt. Casey Dehaas of the New Westminster police said the victim is believed to have been targeted.
“ This was not random,” Dehaas said.
No suspects have been identified in the case. Witnesses were still being questioned Sunday afternoon, with investigators blocking off the street and front entrance to the apartment for much of the day.
In Burnaby, a 45- year-old man was taken to hospital after he was shot on the doorstep of his home in the 4300-block Dundas Street shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday.
About half an hour later, police arrested a 16- year- old male who turned up at another hospital with a gunshot wound.
Burnaby RCMP said the shootings are related, but declined to elaborate on how.
“ We don’t know that yet,” said Const. Kalinda Link. “That’s part of the investigation.”
Police said both men are expected to recover. The injured youth remained in hospital Sunday under police custody.
Also arrested in connection with the Burnaby shooting were a man and woman, both 22.
Police have not released any names in the case.
Both shooting victims are expected to recover, Link said Sunday. dahansen@png.canwest.com