Vancouver police (VPD) are issuing an urgent appeal for the public’s help to solve the recent homicides of a 15-year-old boy and 23-year-old Kevin Whiteside.
Detectives believe there are people who were in the area around the time of the murders who have not yet spoken with police.
“We have collected and reviewed video and determined that there are people out there we still need to talk to,” said VPD Constable Jason Doucette. “In particular, our detectives are looking to speak with anyone who was at the Indochine Kitchen + Bar around the time of the shooting – anywhere between 8 and 9:30 p.m.”
The 15-year-old has been identified as Alfred Wong of Coquitlam.
Wong was passing by Broadway and Ontario Street in a vehicle just after 9 p.m. last Saturday when he was struck by gunfire.
He died on Monday, according to the BC Coroners Service.
Vancouver Police Chief Const. Adam Palmer said the teenager was out enjoying a normal Saturday night with his parents.
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He was a member of Coquitlam Christ Church of China.
Whiteside, who is known to police, appeared to be the target of the shooting.
A man in his 30’s who was inside a car was also grazed with a bullet and treated at the scene.
On Tuesday, “Ralph,” who did not want his last name used, joined CKNW’s Lynda Steele and John Daly to talk about his experience.
Ralph said it was an ordinary Saturday night, he’d just had a haircut and a friend was driving him west on Broadway, when he heard a bang.
“We actually thought it was a firework, as anybody would — so I looked to my right I saw a person wearing a dark hoodie just shooting straight ahead,” he said.
“It was like bang, bang, bang. There were no skips in between, it just kept going.”
No suspects have been identified in the case.
“There was a guy running down the street just shooting a gun, running down the sidewalk, aiming and shooting at something, I didn’t see what,” a witness told Global News on Saturday.
“Forty-five seconds later I looked, and there’s that same guy – appeared to be the same guy – down on the ground.”
On Saturday, Vancouver police will position their Mobile Command Centre near Ontario Street and East Broadway from 3 p.m. to midnight. Detectives will be available to talk to anyone who witnessed Saturday night’s events or who has information relevant to the investigation.
Police say detectives are working around-the-clock to identify witnesses and people with knowledge of this tragic incident.
Anyone with information can contact the VPD Homicide Unit at 604-717-2500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
-With files from Jon Azpiri, Simon Little and Emily Lazatin
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