Ricardo Francis Scarpino, a 37-year-old from West Vancouver, has been identified as one of the two victims shot dead in front of a Vancouver restaurant Saturday in the city's latest gangland-style shooting.

Scarpino was driving an SUV on his way to his own engagement party at Gotham, an upscale steakhouse in downtown Vancouver, police said, when the incident happened.

Two men were gunned down inside this Land Rover outside an upscale Vancouver restaurant Saturday.
(CBC)

Scarpino, his fiancée and two other men were in the 2007 Land Rover when it stopped in front of the restaurant shortly after 10 p.m. and shots rang out.

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Vancouver police spokesman Const. Tim Fanning described the incident as a "targeted shooting."

"As they were about to get out of the car, two men ran west across the street … fired a number of shots into the car, killing two of the men," said Fanning.

He said Scarpino was "well-known" to police and that he was involved in criminal activity.

"[Scarpino] was tied to a lot of other criminals and involved in criminal activity and that's why we believe it's a targeted attack and he was on someone's list to kill."

The other victim was a 38-year-old man, also from West Vancouver. He was not known to police.

That victim's name has not been released.

Police said the area where the restaurant is located is one of the busiest parts of downtown Vancouver at night.

"We're fortunate no one else was hurt," Fanning said.

Suspects fled on foot

After the shooting, the suspects fled on foot, and "disappeared" between buildings, according to police.

Vancouver Police blocked off an alley where the two shooting suspects may have fled on foot.
(CBC)

Police officers planned to seize surveillance tapes from the surrounding area Sunday, in hopes of getting a better description of the suspects.

More than 200 witnesses have already been interviewed, leading to conflicting descriptions, police say.

A few blocks away two guns were recovered Saturday night, but police would not confirm if they were involved in the incident.

Party guest taken into custody

Meanwhile, a 47-year-old Vancouver man who was a guest at the engagement party has been taken into custody on weapons and drug charges.

Shortly after the shooting, police said, two men tried to leave the restaurant and one of them dropped a semi-automatic handgun to the ground.

Fanning said the man was handcuffed and he was found to have a small amount of cocaine on him.

The man was not identified, but Fanning said he was not known to police.

Witness heard six shots

A witness who lives in a building nearby, who would only give her first name as Charm, said she heard shots while out for a walk.

"We thought it was fireworks at first, the first two times, and then it was like, it sounds like gunfire."

She said she avoided walking down the alley nearby as that's where she said the suspects had fled on foot.

Charm said she was shocked at the scene in front of the restaurant.

"It's the first time I've ever seen dead people … it was quite horrible."