Latest gunfire kills man, wounds another in East Vancouver

One man in his 20s was shot dead and another man was in hospital with gunshot wounds after the latest shooting in Metro Vancouver, police said.

The gunfire occurred shortly before 2 p.m. at a house in the 6900 block of Fraser Street near East 53d Avenue in East Vancouver, police said.

"Shots were fired at some point during the incident, but there are no further details at this time. An extensive area search was conducted and police are still looking for at least one suspect," Vancouver police Const. Lindsey Houghton said.

"There is absolutely no doubt that this is unsettling to the public. At this time, it's very early to tell if this is gang related," he said.

Police said the wounded man was in stable condition and investigators were looking for a third man believed to be involved in the shooting.

A woman who said she's the sister of the wounded man said the incident occurred when two men armed with guns came to the door of her family home.

Targeted shooting: police 

The woman, Nazreen Dean, said her two brothers were inside the house at the time. Her brother Aleem Mohammed, 19, was shot and wounded in the chest, she alleged. 

Her other brother, Amir Mohammed, 18, then chased one of the gunmen down the street and tackled him, she said. That fight ended with one of the attackers dead, she said.

Police have said only it was a targeted shooting but have not confirmed any of the reports.

Witnesses reported seeing a body that has since been covered with a tarp by police.

Tuesday's shooting was the latest in a wave of gun violence that has swept the Lower Mainland in the last month in what appears to be a violent gang war.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he wants to see a co-ordinated approach by police forces to curb the increasing gun violence.

"How many killings does it have to take before we deal with gangs as a metro police force?," said Robertson, who went to the scene of the latest shooting.

"We are co-ordinated and we have the same resources other big cities in Canada have."