At least” two people were sent to hospital in what police are describing as a “targeted shooting” in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on Thursday.
The details came in a Friday update on a massive police response that prompted the closure of several blocks centred around East Hastings and Columbia streets.
Vancouver police said they received multiple 911 calls about shots fired near the intersection around 4:30 p.m.
Police found one victim with gunshot wounds and said several people were spotted fleeing the area.
VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said it wasn’t immediately clear to responding officers who was involved in the incident, describing the scene as “chaotic.”
“It was unclear in that moment if these people were fleeing because they were afraid or because they were involved in the incident,” she told reporters Friday.
Investigators had initially described the incident as “multiple serious assaults.”
Paramedics took the victim to the hospital, while police said another person suffering from gunshot wounds also walked into hospital on their own. Both men are expected to survive, Visintin said.
“This is another shooting in broad daylight in a very heavily populated area — to say public safety isn’t at risk wouldn’t be accurate,” Visintin said.
“Definitely the public was at risk, they were at risk yesterday, and we always know retaliation may occur.”
Police have arrested eight people, all who have been released pending further investigation.
Visintin said the suspects and the victims are believed to know one another, but said whether the shooting was gang-related was still under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Vancouver police at 604-717-2541.