Woman paralyzed in Bacon gang shooting

A woman wounded in a gangland shooting in Kelowna, B.C., on Sunday  has been left a quadriplegic, CBC News has learned.

Leah Hadden-Watts, of Maple Ridge, B.C., was in the Porsche SUV that was riddled with bullets, one of which shattered a vertebra in her neck, friends of the woman have confirmed to CBC News.

Jonathan Bacon, 30, a founder of the Red Scorpions gang and one of three notorious Fraser Valley brothers with gang associations, was killed in the shooting.

A senior member of the Hells Angels was wounded, as was another woman in the car and a third man, who fled the scene. Police said those injuries were not life-threatening.

Hadden-Watts, 21, is the niece of a prominent B.C. member of the Hells Angels, but not the member who was in the car.

Just hours before the shooting, the group of five who were later shot were seen on Okanagan Lake in a powerboat named Steroids & Silicone.

Women potential targets

Despite past killings of gang-related women, others who have been drawn to the lifestyle don't seem to be getting the message, said Sgt. Shinder Kirk of the Lower Mainland gang task force.

"The paradigm has shifted," said Kirk. "[Women] are no longer off-limits. They're now potential targets."

On social media, including Twitter, the young woman's friends have written messages of support.

"Leah's a quadriplegic. I am so heartbroken. I don't know what to do with myself," one tweet said.

"We're all here for you babe. Stay strong, you'll get through this. Love you Leah," said another.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting Sunday.

Police have expressed concern about potential retaliation arising from the Kelowna incident. A gang-related shooting in which a man was slightly injured in Surrey late Monday has not been linked to the Bacon slaying.