A Winnipeg man built a gun out of bicycle parts and then used it to hold up a man in the area of Beverly Street and Sergeant Avenue on Tuesday.
Just after noon, police responded to reports of a man being robbed at gunpoint. The Street Crime Unit searched the area and quickly placed a male suspect under arrest.
The man was carrying a firearm containing a twelve gauge shotgun shell and a hatchet. The firearm was an improvised weapon, according to police. In this case, it was likely constructed from bicycle parts.
“You essentially can take anything with a tube, or anything cylindrical, and if you can put a bullet shell or ammunition inside it and then strike the primer, you can turn almost anything into a gun,” Const. Jay Murray said.
Incidents like this have been on the rise in Winnipeg in the last couple of years, Murray said. Police have not yet determined a definite reason for the increase in improvised weapons.
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“We don’t know if it’s because firearms are getting harder to come across, or maybe this is a cheaper way to develop something that can fire a bullet or a shell,” Murray said.
The victim of the robbery was not cooperative, according to police, and did not want to press charges.
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The suspect is, however, still facing numerous charges, including Possession of a Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized, Carrying a Concealed Weapon Prohibited Device or Ammunition, and Failing to Comply with a Probation Order.
He is currently detained in custody.
WATCH: Loaded shotgun seized in Winnipeg’s North End
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