Ottawa

Guns and gangs unit investigating 3 drive-by shootings on Sunday

Three drive-by shootings — which occurred in a span of less than 14 hours on Sunday — are being investigated by the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit.

No word on arrests in any of the 3 shootings

Police cordoned off the area where people in two cars are believed to have shot at each other in the Cyrville area, near Cummings Avenue and Ogilvie Road. (CBC)

Three drive-by shootings — which occurred in a span of less than 14 hours on Sunday — are being investigated by the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit.

The first happened at about 3:30 a.m. in the Overbrook neighbourhood. A 25-year-old man sitting in the passenger seat of a car had been shot, leaving him with serious injuries, Ottawa police said in a media release.

He was found on Presland Road, near Whitton Place, not far from the Vanier Parkway and Coventry Road.

The man was taken to hospital for treatment and was later released, police said.

Shots fired into house in Blackburn Hamlet

At a press conference Monday following the "unusual" day of shootings — which also included the killing of 33-year-old Omar Rashid-Ghader at a ByWard Market nightclub —  Ottawa police Supt. Don Sweet said there was also a second victim involved in the Presland Road shooting.

That victim had also been treated at hospital and released, Sweet said.

Less than two hours later, at about 5:15 a.m., a second drive-by shooting occurred on Innes Road near Bearbrook Road in Blackburn Hamlet.

A house there was shot at multiple times, police said. No injuries were reported.

Sweet said the shooting took place at an "afterparty" following a night out in the ByWard Market, although he couldn't officially connect it to the death of Rashid-Ghader at the Sentral Nightclub.

"Whether it was related to that bar or not, we're still trying to confirm," he said.

"I believe our investigators are being challenged right now with the cooperation level they're getting from witnesses and victims."

Ottawa police were looking for these two cars believed to have been involved in a drive-by shooting in the Cyrville area late Sunday afternoon. Police found the Mustang (top) with the help of the public. The Nissan Altima (bottom) has not yet been found. (Ottawa police)

Car found after shooting in Cyrville area

The third drive-by shooting involved two cars just before 5 p.m. near Ogilvie Road and Cummings Avenue.

Investigators believe several shots were fired from the two cars: a grey Nissan Altima and an older model Ford Mustang with an air intake on its hood and blacked-out headlights.

Police later found the Mustang with the help of the public and social media, but were still looking for the Altima Monday afternoon, said Sweet.

The "pretty blatant drive-by" happened in an area where there were multiple bystanders, Sweet said — however, no injuries were reported.

"It's only really luck that somebody wasn't hit on that one," he said.

Anyone with information about these cases is asked to contact the guns and gangs unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5050. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).