The recent rash of gang violence in the Lower Mainland has continued to escalate with the shooting of a man — the sixth in a week — outside a Kitsilano supermarket.
The 28-year-old victim, who is expected to recover, was rushed to hospital after being found shot behind the IGA near Broadway and Arbutus Street late Sunday night.
Vancouver Police Const. Jana McGuinness said yesterday the man is in stable condition and is being unco-operative with police.
“It has the earmarks of a gang shooting,” she said.
McGuinness said police are “very concerned” with the recent spate of targeted shootings. Four of the six men shot in the past week were killed.
“There is a sense of urgency to get to the bottom of these crimes and get people behind bars,” she said, adding that police agencies around the region are working together to determine if any of the shootings are related.
Const. Shinder Kirk with the B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force told Metro that investigations into gang violence are more complex and lengthy than other investigations into violent crime.
“Very little physical evidence exists at crime scenes and witnesses are less likely to co-operate with police because of loyalty (or) intimidation.”
“We’re going to where (gangsters) live, party and work out. Not all (the work) is visible to the public,” he said, adding that even without arrests, police are making headway in dealing with gang violence.
