Mounties say a midday shooting at a local restaurant that sent one man to hospital was gang related.
B.C.’s gang police and the Burnaby RCMP’s serious crimes unit are now searching for a suspect they say targeted the victim.
Shortly before 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Mounties were called to the Cactus Club in the 4800-block of Kingsway Avenue near Metrotown after a man was shot. During the initial investigation, Burnaby RCMP determined the victim was shot while inside the restaurant with a group of men, according to a media release from the RCMP.
The suspect fled on foot and has yet to be apprehended by police. The victim, a man in his 30s, sustained non-life threatening injuries and was taken to hospital, the release added.
No one else in the restaurant at the time of the shooting was injured, which is quite lucky, according to the RCMP.
“The restaurant had several patrons inside at the time of the shooting,” said Sgt. Peter Thiessen of the Lower Mainland District RCMP. “It is extremely fortunate that no innocent bystanders were injured.”
Burnaby RCMP shut down a portion of Kingsway Avenue while they investigated the shooting and attempted to locate the suspect.
Burnaby Staff Sgt. Ghalib Bhayani told the Burnaby NOW on Tuesday, the scene was “very hectic” and the investigation was unfolding quickly.
Officers from a number of Burnaby RCMP units, including the serious crime unit and forensic identification service, were all on the scene. The RCMP canine unit was also on scene to help search for the suspect, Bhayani said.
There were no suspects in custody at press time.
Anyone who witnessed this shooting or has any information and has not spoken to a police officer is asked to call the Burnaby RCMP serious crime unit at 604-294-7922 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
