WINNIPEG — Winnipeg police are looking for witnesses to come forward in a fatal drive-by shooting that happened in the Osborne Village area more than a month ago. An Alberta man was killed in the gunfire.
On Nov. 26 around 3 a.m., a double shooting took place on Donald Street and Stradbrook Avenue. Officers arrived to find two adult men suffering from gunshot wounds; both were rushed to hospital in critical condition.
One of the victims died, who was later identified as 32-year-old Theodoros Belayneh from Edmonton, Alta. The second victim was upgraded to stable condition.
READ MORE: No suspect in custody after shooting at Stradbrook and Donald, police say
No suspect is in custody and homicide officers are investigating.
On Wednesday police held a media conference giving more details about people who may have witnessed the shooting.
Events leading up to shooting
On Nov. 25 Belayneh attended a night club, called Reset Interactive Ultralounge, on 1931 Pembina Highway. Police said there weren’t any major altercations that evening.
At 2:30 a.m., Belayneh and his friend left the club and drove north on Pembina Highway.
Belayneh was the front seat passenger in the vehicle, and they were travelling in the curb lane. Police were able to piece this together due cameras on businesses in the area.
In front of the apartment block on 3 Donald St., several shots were fired at Belayneh’s vehicle. Both passengers were hit and the car drove onto the boulevard on Stradbrook Avenue.
WATCH: Emergency crews on scene after shooting on Donald Street
“There were two vehicles that were very close to Belayneh’s car when the shots were fired,” O’Donovan said.
“I don’t know if one of them is involved or not, but they were very close and the occupants should be able to help us out.”
Vehicles were:
- Black BMW 3 Series
- Smaller SUV, either a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk or a Range Rover Exoque
In the smaller SUV, there was a woman in her mid-20s. In the black BMW, there were a group of people, police said.
“There were a lot of shots fired. This is Winnipeg, not Chicago, so we can’t allow this to continue,” O’Donovan said.
Police are asking anyone from the vehicles to contact then. O’Donovan said there were a lot of bullets and glass that exploded, meaning the occupants in the two vehicles “must have known” what was going on.
Still looking for clues
Police aren’t sure whether any of the vehicles were involved in the shooting, but have not ruled anything out.
“We are struggling for a motive for this,” O’Donovan said.
Belyaneh was known to Winnipeg police. He was previously arrested in May 2014 along with two other men. They were charged with a series of weapons offences after police said they found two loaded guns during a stop outside Bar Italia on Corydon Avenue.
Police said at the time, that one of the guns was previously stolen in Regina.
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