2 men sought in fatal shooting at Vancouver mall
Man in his 20s dies of multiple gunshot wounds
Last Updated: Thursday, October 2, 2008 | 10:56 PM PT
CBC News
Police officers search for clues in the underground parkade at Oakridge Centre after a man was fatally shot Thursday afternoon. (CBC) Two men police believe are responsible for the fatal shooting of a young man in the underground parking lot of a busy shopping mall in Vancouver are still on the loose.
Vancouver police officers arrived at Oakridge Centre on Cambie Street and West 41st Avenue shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday after reports of gunfire, Const. Tim Fanning said.
Several witnesses told police they heard at least seven shots fired and then saw a man lying face down near his vehicle, Fanning said.
'This shooting has all the earmarks of a targeted attack.'— Const. Tim Fanning, Vancouver police
The unidentified man in his 20s suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital, said Terry McManus of the B.C. Ambulance Service.
Members of the advanced life support unit tried to revive the unidentified man, but he died a short time later, McManus said.
Fanning said investigators believe the shooting was not random and was likely gang-related.
"This shooting has all the earmarks of a targeted attack that these suspects were either laying in wait or followed our victim and took the opportunity in the underground here at Oakridge to open fire on him," Fanning said.
Vancouver police Const. Tim Fanning says the shooting was not random and was likely gang-related. (CBC) Major crime homicide detectives combed the parkade for clues Thursday night. They had interviewed a number of witnesses that were in and around the mall at the time of the shooting and had seized several surveillance tapes from the area that might help the investigation.
Witnesses said they saw two men rushing out of the parkade and heading south along Cambie Street.
Police cordoned off the southern mall entrance on Cambie Street, but the mall remained open until its closing time at 9 p.m.
Some nearby residents said Thursday night they were shocked to hear about the brazen daylight shooting.
Police cordoned off Oakridge Centre's southern entrance on Cambie Street, but the mall remained open Thursday afternoon. (CBC) "What if that person happens to be around at five o'clock [or] six o'clock when I'm there in the same parking lot? Stray bullets, you know, it's scary," Mimi Lam said.
Lisa Clifton said she's surprised alleged gang members would carry out such an attack in the middle of the day.
"I think it's crazy because I only live a couple of blocks away," she said. "It's Vancouver and so you always have that in mind that there's gangs around so you've got to stick to yourself."
June Hunter was at Oakridge Centre's parking lot when the shooting took place.
"I noticed this guy run behind me towards the entrance where I've just driven in from Cambie," she told CBC News.
"Then he sort of ran back in again and the gunfire continued … so I actually ducked down in the van cause I thought, 'Oh, my God! How close these bullets are,' " Hunter said.
Kelly Chan said she had just parked her car in the parkade when she heard shots.
"I was going up the escalator, and I heard a whole bunch of gunshots," Chan told CBC News on the telephone.
"But I wasn't sure if that was what it was until some guy was like, 'Run, gunshots!' so we all just ran up the escalator."
