British Columbia: VANCOUVER Prior to being shot and killed by police, a shooter who was aiming his gun at homeless people killed two men and injured two others in a Vancouver, British Columbia, suburb.
An emergency response team encountered the suspect not far from where a man was discovered with a gunshot wound to his leg, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The man was shot while interacting with police and was declared dead there, according to the authorities.
In a statement, Langley police said they responded to “multiple reports of shots fired with multiple victims and multiple different scenes throughout the City of Langley, and one scene in the Township of Langley.” They also urged people to avoid a number of locations, including a bus stop and a casino’s parking lot.
Authorities don’t know what motivated the shootings or whether the attacker and the victims knew one another, according to Police Chief Superintendent Ghalib Bhayani.
With its tight firearms legislation, Canada sees few attacks of this nature. In addition to the male who had a leg injury, a woman was also hurt and was in severe condition, according to officials.
A village of around 29,000 people, located about 30 miles southeast of Vancouver, was shaken by the shootings. The community has a wide range of stores and eateries, as well as about 350 acres of parks. In order to travel to Vancouver, the biggest city in British Columbia, many residents migrated to Langley for its less-priced housing.
Police reported that they were on the scene of several shootings “involving transient victims” early in the morning in a cellphone alert. Although most of the shootings occurred in Langley’s downtown, one shooting was also recorded in the nearby Langley Township.
After the shooting started, police and ambulances gathered at a mall. Yellow police tape was used to demarcate the area, and a significant crossroads was shut down. Over one of the crime scenes, there was a black tent built up. On social media, a homicide team said that its investigators had been sent to Langley to assist.
Any type of rapid-fire weapon, including unlicensed handguns, is currently prohibited in Canada. The nation also mandates training, a personal risk assessment, two references, spousal notification, and criminal background checks in order to purchase a weapon.
