Boy, 11, hit by stray bullet in Red River Ex shooting, police say

A night at the Red River Ex turned terrifying for an 11-year-old boy and his mother Monday, after police say the pre-teen got caught in the crossfire of a shooting at the fair.

Police have previously said a 16-year-old boy was rushed to hospital in critical condition after shots rang out at the fairgrounds shortly after 7 p.m. He has since been upgraded to stable.

Three teens, two 17-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl, were later arrested and are each facing a number of charges.

But police say further charges have now been laid after investigators learned the boy had also been hit.

0:37 Red River Ex CEO, security, say park is safe after three charged in shooting

In a release Thursday, police said the boy, who was unknown to those involved in the shooting, was with his mother nearby when the shooting started.

They say a stray bullet hit the young bystander in the lower body.

Police say the boy’s mother quickly took him to a hospital.

“As the area was in chaos, his mother got him to safety and immediately transported him to hospital,” police said in the release.

“He was treated for a gunshot wound and the police were later notified.”

Police say all three suspects have been charged with an additional offence of aggravated assault and all three remain in custody.

After the shooting, Red River EX CEO Garth Rogerson told Global News both site security and Winnipeg police said the park is safe.

Rogerson said on the weekend, the Ex attracted more people than the population of Portage la Prairie, and with a city-sized group of people in a small, enclosed area, problems sometimes arise.

He said the Ex maintains a ratio of one guard for every 250 people — meaning with peak weekend crowds, at least 40 security officers were present, as well as Winnipeg police making routine stops at the park, located just west of the Perimeter Highway.

Plainclothes security, he said, were also present.

— with files from Sam Thompson