Police seek witnesses in Vancouver shooting that left 3 hurt, including 15-year-old bystander
'This is bad and we are concerned about how brazen this was'
Police are appealing for witnesses after a shooting injured three people in Vancouver Saturday night, including a 15-year-old male bystander.
Vancouver police responded to a report of several shots fired in the area of East Broadway and Ontario Street. The three victims were immediately treated by paramedics.
The 15-year-old victim was seriously injured and taken to hospital. The Coquitlam teen was in a vehicle that was driving by at the time of the shooting.
According to police, evidence suggests the teenager was an innocent bystander and no one in the vehicle he was travelling in is of interest to the police at this time.
A Vancouver man in his early 20s was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The man is known to police and investigators believe this man was targeted.
There is an indication that there was an exchange of gunfire between the targeted victim and the shooter, said VPD spokesperson Sgt. Jason Robillard.
The third victim, a Vancouver man in his 30s, sustained minor injuries. Police believe he was not targeted and he was treated at the scene and released.
"This is bad and we are concerned about how brazen this was," said Robillard in a news conference.
"This is rare that these things happen...and we are going to work as hard as we have to to solve this."
No arrests have been made and the area around East Broadway and Ontario Street was blocked for several hours.
More than 30 VPD officers are investigating. They are still determining if the shooter was on vehicle or foot.
Investigators with the VPD's Major Crime Section are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting, or who may have dash-cam footage and was driving in the area between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday night, to call 604-717-2500.
With files from GP Mendoza and Bridgette Watson.