Vanier homicide not a random shooting, say police

Ottawa police are investigating the city's seventh homicide of 2015 after a 41-year-old man was shot dead in Vanier on Saturday evening.

Officers were called to the 300 block of Lacasse Avenue shortly after 8:30 p.m. after receiving a 911 call that shots had been fired in the area, said Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt of the Ottawa police major crimes unit.

A man victim was transported to hospital and later pronounced dead, police said.

He has been identified as Dady Jean of Vanier, police said.

"We have nobody in custody, but we are following up leads on this," Pirt said on Sunday afternoon as investigators combed the area for evidence.

"What we do know is that it appears the attackers did know the victim. So it wasn't a random thing."

5th shooting in 6 days

Saturday's shooting was the city's fifth in less than a week. There were two shootings on Nov. 9, one near Merivale and Baseline roads and another in Sandy Hill near Besserer and Chapel streets.

Then, on Nov. 12, a man suffering from a gunshot wound in his torso was found near the Alexandra Bridge.

And also on Nov. 12, Ottawa police managed to confirm that shots were fired in the 1900 block of St. Laurent Boulevard at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 10. A 911 caller told police they heard a shot being fired and glass shattering. A vehicle was also spotted leaving the scene.

No injuries were reported.

At first officers only found glass and were unable to corroborate the shooting. Shell casings were later found.

Pirt said it did not appear any of the week's shootings were related.

"Whether it's a statistical anomaly or if it's a trend, we don't know yet," he said.