Downtown targeted daylight shooting leaves Vancouverites shaken
Posted April 1, 2024 7:21 am.
Last Updated April 1, 2024 7:23 am.
A daylight shooting in Vancouver’s Downtown core Saturday evening has left people in the area shaken.
The shooting happened around 5:40 p.m. on Robson Street near Richards Street. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) believes the shooting was targeted, however, the incident has left locals concerned for their safety.
“Bang, bang, bang — it was seven to 10 times,” one person told CityNews.
“I was literally shivering and I was about to cry,” another said.
Video circulating on social media shows two gunmen coming up to a black SUV before firing directly at the vehicle.
The SUV speeds up and crashes into a white Audi before one person jumps out and runs away. One shooter continues to unload at what appears to be a remaining occupant.
“We were so scared, we called 911 right away,” a local server told CityNews. She was working during the dinner rush when she and her manager saw the shooting unfold in front of them.
“He was like get down – get down – and all the customers got down under the tables and we hid in the kitchen- there were kids inside and everyone was so scared,” she added. “It was really shocking and unexpected and it was in the middle of the evening and in the downtown so we were all really scared in the restaurant.”
Others who were walking by the incident at the time saw the violence unfold.
“I looked back and there were lots of people running, so I started running too. The shots, there were seven to 10, and people were running to other stores and they closed the doors,” another person told CityNews.
The VPD says the incident was particularly dangerous because there were so many people out at the time the shots were fired.
“This is not the level of violence and gang violence [we’ve seen in] months here in Vancouver. Much of the gang violence we see in Surrey and Langley, and we have worked hard in Vancouver to make it an uncomfortable place for people who are involved in organized crime and gang activity to hang out,” Sgt. Steve Addison told CityNews.
“But these types of incidents have no municipal borders and it can happen here at any time.”
Addison shared the VPD is still investigating, and hopes to prevent more gang activity from occurring in the city.
“We have a lot to work with here — lots of bystanders and videos, and our job is to identify the people responsible.”
