VANCOUVER, B.C. – Vancouver police call a gun found floating in a river a “silent killing machine” that’s implicated in several gang shootings.
Insp. Brad Desmarais said Thursday that a fisherman found the weapon in a waterproof bag in the Fraser River off Richmond, B.C. “What (he) landed was more shocking than (he) could have ever imagined,” Desmarais said in a statement.
He said the gun was immediately taken to the Richmond RCMP detachment and then turned over to the Vancouver Police Department, which had been searching for a similar weapon after several gang-related shootings in the city.
“The weapon used in these shootings is commonly known as a Mac-11 machine pistol and this one is equipped with a silencer,” Desmarais said of the gun found two weeks ago.
“This is a silent killing machine capable of firing 1200 rounds per minute.”
Desmarais said forensic testing has confirmed the weapon is linked to a number of gang-related shootings in the Vancouver area.
“This is a significant piece of evidence and it is a relatively unique weapon and we are in the process of tracing its history.” The Metro Vancouver area has been rocked this year by a series gang-style shootings that have left about two dozen people dead.
