Winnipeg police are looking for suspects in an armed robbery outside a Tuxedo-area community centre.
Police said four youths were making videos on their phones around 7:45 Saturday night when they were robbed by a group of five suspects — one of whom had a gun tucked into his waistband, while another was armed with a can of pepper spray.
The suspects stole personal property and fled the scene on foot, police said.
The victims, who weren’t injured in the incident, ran to a nearby store and called their parents, who contacted police.
The suspect armed with the gun — said to be a handgun with a black grip — is described as around 20 years old, 6’2″, with a thick build and long hair in braids or dreadlocks.
The man with the pepper spray is described as the same age, 5’7″ to 5’8″, with a thin build and a bowl or undercut hairstyle.
Anyone with information about the suspects or the incident is asked to call the Major Crimes Unit at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).
Coun. Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood), in a statement Monday, called on police to crack down on violent crime in the city and said Sunday’s incident wasn’t the only recent one in his ward.
“Public safety is a priority of mine and always has been. We will not grow to one million people if people in our communities don’t feel safe,” said Klein.
“For months, I’ve called on this administration to address the increase in violent crimes, which
have been on the rise for six years and include 87 murders in the past 24 months.”
Klein said he wants police to increase pressure on street gangs and organized crime in Winnipeg, and that council should reach out to the federal government with regard to stricter drug and illegal gun laws.