Manitoba

Brandon police arrest 2 men after break in, home shot at 30 times

Police have arrested two men after the second shooting in Brandon in less than two days.

Police trying to determine if case connected to 2 other shootings in just over a week

Police remained at a house on Lorne Avenue East in Brandon Monday afternoon that was shot 30 times Sunday. (Riley Laychuk/CBC)

Police have arrested two men after the second shooting in Brandon in less than two days.

Police were called at 4 p.m. Sunday after a report about four males with their faces covered allegedly trying to force their way into a home on Park Street.

One suspect armed with an assault rifle and another one with a handgun managed to break in through the back of the house, according to Brandon police Staff Sgt. Larry Yanick. Two other suspects stayed at the front of the house and did not go in.

A man, woman and baby were inside at the time and the two suspects never said anything or asked for anything, Yanick said, adding it appears the suspects were looking for someone else.

When they realized their target wasn't there, they left.

No one was injured.

The four suspects were gone by the time police arrived but while officers were investigating the scene they heard gunshots ring out several blocks away, Yanick said.

Police rushed toward where the shots were fired and came across a speeding vehicle that  that tried to evade them by driving down alleys.

A brief chase ended in a back lane in the 200 block of Russell Street where police arrested one suspect while another took off on foot.

Police caught up to and arrested the second suspect near First Street and Princess Avenue.

A 20-year-old man and 30-year-old man, both from Brandon, are in custody.

Yanick said officers found a gun magazine and bullets in the vehicle. A handgun was found nearby and a police dog searched the area and found the assault rifle in a vacant lot.

Police discovered a home in the 200 block of Lorne Avenue East had been shot at about 30 times, Yanick said. Most of the bullets were in the exterior walls but two did enter the home through a window.

Fortunately, no one was injured, Yanick said.

Police are still searching for two other suspects believed to be involved in the incidents. Descriptions of the people or the vehicle are not being released at this time, Yanick said.

This is the second shooting in Brandon in two days, and the third shooting in the last eight days.

Police say the shootings weren't random and continue to investigate.

With files from Riley Laychuk