Gas station shootout in Langley leaves police looking for clues
There was another shootout in Metro Vancouver, this time involving two vehicles chasing each other through a Shell gas station and a Tim Hortons parking lot in Langley on Wednesday morning.
Police say the shootout took place on 86th Avenue near 200th Street around 3:45 a.m. PT, not far from the IGA parking lot where Kevin LeClair was killed by two gunmen on Friday.
Staff at the gas station said about half a dozen shots were fired as two vehicles circled the gas pumps in a cat-and-mouse game before heading across the street to the Tim Hortons parking lot.
Police found an empty black Ford truck at the scene with bullet holes in the door, but there was no blood inside. They said one shot may have hit the engine, stopping the truck.
Officers said a check of local hospitals turned up no victims from the shootout.
Police issue warnings to gangs
Police haven't said if they believe the latest shooting was gang-related or a targeted attack, but since the beginning of the year, five people have been shot in Metro Vancouver.
But police say the body count could have been higher had they not been quietly warning potential targets in the illegal drug trade to stay off the streets.
Sgt. Shinder Kirk of the Integrated Gang Task Force said police are doing this to protect the public as much as the gangsters, because so many of the shootings have been in public places, such as mall parking lots and city streets.
"We've had numerous occasions where we've had to go to individuals who are involved in a criminal lifestyle, and actually warn them that their lives were at risk. So we've played a huge role in actually preventing some of the violence that we've seen now."
Bacon brothers and associates targeted
In the last year, police in Abbotsford and Port Moody have also issued public warning to avoid the notorious Bacon brothers, a trio allegedly involved with gangs in Abbotsford.
At least one of the brothers and two associates have since been the target of shootings.
In the first incident Dennis Karbovanec was shot and wounded in Mission on Dec. 31. Police said he was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time he walked into the hospital emergency room for treatment.
In the second incident, Jamie Bacon was reportedly shot at while driving down a busy Abbotsford street. He jumped out of his moving car, and was reportedly wearing body armour when arrested shortly afterwards.
On Friday, Kevin LeClair, who police say is a close friend of the Bacon brothers, was shot outside the Langley IGA on Friday. The gunmen reportedly fired about 40 shots into the vehicle with high-powered weapons before fleeing.
Police won't say who they have warned about possible death threats, but they claim at least some gangsters are getting the message and lying low.