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Home : Top Stories : Manhunt on for gunmen in Vancouver shooting

Manhunt on for gunmen in Vancouver shooting

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CTV News Video

CTV News: Todd Battis on the cold, calculated attack
CTV British Columbia: Correspondents on the horror
CTV Newsnet: Todd Battis from the crime scene
Canada AM: Ian Bailey, The Globe and Mail

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Thu. Aug. 9 2007 9:38 PM ET

In one of the worst acts of violence to ever hit Vancouver, two people were killed and six injured in a brazen early-morning shooting spree inside a Chinese restaurant.

Two masked gunmen opened fire inside the Fortune Happiness restaurant, apparently targeting a table where the eight victims were seated.

Witnesses said one of the shooters entered from the front, and the other from the back. When the shooting had stopped, two people lay dead while one of the injured was critically hurt.

"This is one of the most heinous (shootings) we've ever come across," said, Dep. Const. Bob Rich. "But it fits with the kind of proliferation of weapons in our city."

The two slain men were aged 19 and 26 and known to police, but none of the victims have been named. Four of the injured were women.

Police believe the shooting may have been gang related.

"All of the people that were shot were sitting at one table," Const. Howard Chow said. "The early part of the investigation is telling us this was not a random attack."

The shooting happened at 4:30 a.m. local time. No one has been arrested and police have no leads. But surveillance footage may have caught the shooting.

"The suspects took off, they are still at large," Chow told CTV.ca.

At an afternoon press conference, Rich said guns and gangs have become a serious issue in Vancouver.

He said police seize about a gun a day and that the weapons they're confiscating are of higher quality than in the past. But he added that he still considers Vancouver a safe city and the number of shots fired this year is less than half what it was last year.

CTV British Columbia reported that one of the gunmen was carrying a .40-calibre weapon while another was holding a nine-millimetre firearm.

Police described the shooting scene as a chaotic one, with tables overturned and bullet holes riddling the entire restaurant.

The late-night restaurant is located at 654 Broadway East just west of Fraser Street.

CTV British Columbia's Kate Gajdosik said there are eyewitness reports that one of the shooters entered from the back of the restaurant, while the other came in from the front.

Bullet holes were visible in the front window of the restaurant, which is located in a quiet neighbourhood not known to be especially dangerous.

With reports from CTV British Columbia

Please Add Comments( )

Francis
said
0 0

Why are we still questioning the ban of handguns in this country? What good is it doing for us?
As a GTA resident I feel for these people. Time for the feds to step up and just ban handguns outright in this country. We don't need them, for sport, show or protection.

Scott H.
said
0 0

I'd be willing to bet they were armed with illegal handguns... though I still bet there will be mass cries for a ban on guns. I still say tougher punishments and more cops on the street are the way to solve this growing problem...


Michael
said
0 0

Banning legitimate use of handguns isn't the solution. The problems are illegal handguns, a liberal judiciary who are easy on criminals and penalties which are a joke.
Deal with those and we will see change.


Forte
said
0 0

If you want to handle a gun,join the Armed Forces or move to the U.S. Why any civilian needs a gun or any armament is beyond me.

Eric L.
said
0 0

We love Canada because it's guns-free, as opposed to the situation in the U.S., so we should continue to support banning illegal possession of guns in Canada


Jason Chow
said
0 0

Rather than call for a ban on handguns as there are already stringent restrictions on handguns and it's obvious the criminals chose to ignore these laws. What makes people think that an outright ban on handguns would cause the criminals to obey the laws then? An outright ban on handguns insures that only criminals will have access to handguns. How about calling for a 1am curfew--these people wouldn't have been shot if they weren't out.....


Greg Mulvihill
said
0 0

Why is it that people believe that by having the government ban handguns that will suddenly make them disappear? These people that are using them didn't buy them at a store, didn't register them and really couldn't care less if the Government bans them of not. Ask for stiffer sentences and more resources to catch the "bad guys" and not for useless "bans" that are unenforceable.


Ian
said
0 0

Why is it any time a report of mass shooting happens we instantly see both sides of the "we must ban handguns" "we must not ban handguns" argument? Neither side makes any sense.


Brad
said
0 0

And banning handguns would have done what, exactly, to prevent this crime ? Is anyone really naive enough to believe that a "ban" would have any effect on the kind of people who actually carry out an organized "hit" ? Get real.


Jim F
said
0 0

The high majority of these types of crimes are in the big cities. You people asking for the banning of guns are trying to punish honest individuals in small towns and rural areas, where this kind of thing rarely happens, and who has zero involvement with gangs and organized crime.

Big cities need to fix their own issues, stop making excuses about their problems, and stop trying to prohibit legal gun ownership amongst people in areas that have nothing to do with these crimes.


Matt
said
0 0

Francis,
We do have a handgun ban in Canada. Admittedly there are a few exceptions for sports (Olympics and other competitions), show (museums), protection (law enforcement). Except for active Law enforcement use, the handguns must be locked in a secure box unless they are being used.

In this case like most the offender was very likely using an illegal gun (smuggled into the country), the offenders have likely been convicted of multiple violent offenses and were known to police.

The real question is why weren't these dangerous criminals in jail?


Allen
said
0 0

Hopefully the investigation will show why this "hit" took place, and that the police will take appropriate action.

Regarding the weapons used - it doesn't matter if it was by gun, knife, bomb, or arson, it was an illegal act and the perpetrators will hopefully be brought to justice soon.


Amy
said
0 0

A ban on handguns will do nothing to stop criminals from killing people. It will only punish law abiding citizens who enjoy the sport of shooting. It is illegal to have a handgun anywhere except a shooting range, to transport it anywhere except a shooting range, to have it loaded outside of a range, and to point it at anyone, loaded or not, according to Canadian law. These criminals do not obey our laws. We need tougher penalties for criminals. Should we ban cars to stop impaired driving? In areas where handguns have been banned, crime has increased. Criminals will continue to have handguns whether we ban them or not. It's time to stop blaming guns and start blaming the people who use them.


Lisa
said
0 0

Banning handguns will not solve the problem. The majority of the guns used in crimes are obtained illegally.

I can't understand for the life of me why so many don't realize this.


Hugh
said
0 0

Time will show that law abiding citizens who have their guns registered are not responsible and that criminals, who haven't registered their guns, are responsible. One thing is sure & that is CRIMINALS will never register guns and HONEST citizens will continue to be harrassed.


Mike Duynhoven
said
0 0

Oh of course everyone who is anti-gun now parrots the same drivel about banning handguns. It is already illegal to kill someone, but we can see how well that ban has helped. ...

HB
said
0 0

That's right, punish the honest, law abiding citizens and the problem will go away. Wrong. Tougher sentences for those involved would be a better idea.


Brian
said
0 0

Banning handguns would reduce the number available to criminals. It is not a cure-all but it would help. If a handgun ban were to save only one person's life would it still not be worth it?




Andrew
said
0 0

I bet these guys have along criminal record of all kinds of offences. Ban Liberal lawyers and judges, not lawfully held firearms.


Andrea
said
0 0

Hey, instead of banning handguns lets just ban all crime....that should solve the problem.


Geoff
said
0 0

Jason Chow wrote "How about calling for a 1am curfew--these people wouldn't have been shot if they weren't out.....". Why not take it a step further and call for a police state, whereby all civil liberties are suspended? The idea of a curfew is ridiculous, as these a**holes don't give a crap about the time of day when they go on their shooting rampages. Let them rot in prison with no chance of parole. Why should our civil liberties be suspended rather than theirs?


Michael Le Couteur
said
0 0

Indeed, banning handguns won't do the trick. It will most likely make it like the days of prohibition. There was still booze available for all those who wanted it. This was, what looks like, a targeted hit. While I don't have the answer, I believe banning as a rule does not work.


Ron
said
0 0

York Regional Police Constable Robert Plunkett was tragically killed recently. He was allegedly murdered when the perpetrators used a car to drag and crush him. Are we to now ban automobiles?


cdnuser
said
0 0

People who buy guns illegally need to buy ammo, why not place invisable markings on ammo to better track where it is bought and who is buying it.


Jim Cripwell
said
0 0

I understand there are some 750,000 legal handguns in Canada. About 5000 of these are stolen each year, some of which are replaced, and which are a source of illegal weapons used by criminals. If you get rid of all the legal hand guns, then this will reduce the supply of illegal ones. Or is that just too simple?


Kevin
said
0 0

A few people on this board have referred to a "legitimate use of hand guns". Ummmm....there is NO legitimate use for a hand gun....none whatsoever!!!!


Nick J Boragina
said
0 0

The people who do these things only care about if they killed the target or not. They do not care about the innocent. Our "justice" system on the other hand, will show them mercy, it always does. These attackers should be made to suffer for what they have done.


Michel Trahan
said
0 0

If anybody had a doubt, whomever did this must be a criminal. 1) Murder is a crime, 2) Assault is a crime, 3) It is illegal to shot at somebody, 4) It is illegal to carry a loaded restricted firearm...

I think it's time we wake up, we don't have a gun problem in Canada. We have a criminal problem!


Matt
said
0 0

Jim,
Yes there are nearly a million handguns in Canada.
About 5000 firearms of all types are lost/stolen in Canada. Many of those are not handguns.
As it is only a tiny fraction of legal handguns are stolen.

In Toronto they found more than half the handguns used in crimes were smuggled into the country.

If you ban civilian ownership of handguns in Canada, they'll just continue to smuggle them in or steal them from those (i.e. police) who are still permitted to keep them.


Maximus
said
0 0

If guns were outlawed, then outlaws would have guns. How about What has happened to respect & dignity of all? Sounds like a Triad hit to me.



Jim
said
0 0

Some interesting comments here. I just want to add that I don't think that criminals can be controlled by taking away any civil liberties from the law abiding citizens whether it be bans or curfews.
Many here have it right by saying that tougher sentences and punishment for criminals are the order of the day. If the prisons are overcrowded then it's time to build new ones--lack of facilities or lack of funds are not acceptable excuses to be complacent about criminals.


Phillip
said
0 0

The gun laws and restrictions in Canada are in place! What is needed are the courts to hand down the sentences/penalties to those convicted of gun violence. I agree that a total ban on all firearms, especially handguns is not the answer. These acts of violence that are either targeted or not have tremedous impact on the community. Innocent by-standers like the recent shootings in Toronto will continue until the courts deal harshly with the convicted gun users. I sure hope that when gun shootings occur my family or friends will not be another statistic.


Amer
said
0 0

Coming from Afghanistan and knowing guns ruin lives and even future of a country. I would suggest an outright gun ban all over Canada. We do not need guns to be out there with individuals who enjoy hurting others. Keep the guns in Armed forces, Police and Government Agencies. We need a gun ban period and tougher laws for those who commit crimes like this.

Phil
said
0 0

Firstly, this is a terrible tragedy and it reflects the desperate need for cracking down on crime in this country. Regarding the inevitable call to "ban all handguns" we must remember that entering from the front and back doors of a restaurant and shooting the place up is ALREADY a banned activity! By these actions, the perpetrators committed a dozen felony offenses which means that they have no respect for current laws. A study of homicides in Canada from 1997-2005 revealed that .00555% of homicides were committed by a licensed gun owner. In contrast, 64% had previous criminal records and 98% were ignoring a plethora of current gun laws. Making guns MORE illegal is about as silly of a solution as one could think of.


Jean
said
0 0

I'm tired of all the controversy over gun control. The truth of the matter is "Criminals are Criminals". Since the "Charter of Rights and Freesoms" was entrenched, we have more criminals getting away with more crimes. Often the hands of the police are tied and so too is the court. The Charter needs to be amended somewhat, (mind you it would have to be carefully amended to ensure freedoms etc) and criminals need to be given tougher penalties. It is time the government woke up to this fact. Our tactics HAVE to change!The government HAS to make those changes!


Will
said
0 0

3% of all crimes committed with firearms involve legally licensed and owned handguns. 97% are illegal... A ban would do very little. It is the criminals we should focus on, not the law abiding citizens.


KJ Davs
said
0 0

This was obviously a planned execution/hit by organized criminals. The simple fact that there were two shooters precludes almost any other possibility.

Those of you clamoring for handgun bans in Canada seem to forget that criminals already flout the law, and will _always_ have access to firearms.




D
said
0 0

There are 3 issues.
1.Easy access to handguns, both legal and illegal.
2.Far to relaxed laws to gun crime
3.Severe mental disorders

Ban guns, increase the law, increase social programs. Its not that hard it just takes some huspa. With out all three this problem will continue and grow.



Mike
said
0 0

Ban handguns, ban late night restaurants, ban organized crime, ban gang violence and if the bad guys don’t listen then we should ban them too. Crime happens because criminals do not respect the law. Does anybody really expect the same people to respect a ban on firearms. Get you head out of the sand. This is an unfortunate incident, blame the bad guys, blame our justice system. In absence of change perhaps we can a-ban-don logic as well...


Anthony
said
0 0

Guns don't kill people. People with guns kill people. Stop the revolving door justice system and lock up these criminal thugs for life (25+ years).


Irwin
said
0 0

As a former resident of NYC, NY for 11 years and now a resident of Toronto, Ontario; we need to ban handguns in Canada now, the politicians are taking too long...meanwhile people will continue to get hurt and die; demoralizing efect on society.


Dave
said
0 0

I personally enjoy the use of handguns for target shooting and rifles for hunting. I actually hope handguns are banned since there is no real reason to have them in the first place, accept maybe the rare time you may need to defend yourself from someone trying to kill you. Probability of that is slim to none. And of course if handguns are banned, people unable to acquire illegal guns will just steal or import them. Maybe they will saw off rifles and shotguns. Gun collectors and sport shooters such as me don't need to have these weapons. We don't NEED them. I'll give mine up when the day comes and make sure that my guns are as safe as money in a bank vault. As for penalties, bring back the death penalty. No one should have the ability to take another life without loosing their own (excluding self defense and alike).


Abraham
said
0 0

The problem is the social climate in big cities. We can make tougher laws and dead penalty but these will not stop crime. We need to start giving a dam about the people around us.

We need to deal with the homeless and the poverty in our city. By making the social climate better it is harder for criminals to hide. Criminals are just like cockroaches. If you clean your place they will leave. By putting more police on the street and helping the people who need it we will rid of crime.

I know this is a really idealistic look on the problem, but it is a lot better then making Canada a carbon copy of the states



Matt
said
0 0

D,
Your 3 points are close but a bit off.

1.Easy access to handguns, both legal and illegal.
Illegal handguns are too easy to obtain, that is why they're used in more than half the cases.
Legal handguns are actually quite difficult to obtain, if you don't believe me, go buy one.

2.Far to relaxed laws to gun crime
- Close, the laws are quite strict, they are just unenforced. For example a handgun must be transported unloaded in a locked box.

3.Severe mental disorders
Maybe, I think the criminal element is a mucher greater source of violent crime when compared to the mentally ill.



L.J. Brooks
said
0 0

"Jim Cripwell wrote on August 09, 2007 at 10:50:34 AM
I understand there are some 750,000 legal handguns in Canada. About 5000 of these are stolen each year, "

Jim, I don't know where you got the figure that 5,000 handguns are stolen every year. According to the Cdn Firearms Centre about 5,000 "firearms" are stolen every year, but that includes rifles, shotguns and handguns. In 2005, of the 222 homicides committed, only 78 firearms (rifles, shotguns, handguns) used in the murders were recovered and of those only 24 were registered. So, if there are 5,000 stolen handguns out there, they are not being used in the commission of a homicide.


Graham
said
0 0

Ban handguns entirely. Search every car and transport-truck coming into Canada thoroughly. Search through all passengers' baggage when they enter Canada through an airport. Obviously the measures being taken now are not enough. I think a longer wait at the border is less important than murdered children.


Dennis
said
0 0

Any one who thinks that banning guns will ban crime is a fool living in a bubble world. Crime is caused by drugs, gangs, violent videos and movies, lack of family values, and liberal courts for the last forty years blamming everything on the crime except the criminal.


Gary
said
0 0

This proves only one thing. The federal and Provincial governments are oblivious to the real situation here. Poverty + desperation =crime.
The focus should be on educating the public, assisting the deprived, cleaning up street violence. Banning guns solves nothing but pushing crime back to the dark corners of the cities. There is no quick fix. Everyone needs to take a stand and demand that the governments change their focus from corporate moneymakers to everyday taxpayers. If we cannot do this, then we've failed as a society.


Frank Buchan
said
0 0

I must assert this article has zero connection to poverty, gun control, social ills, or the like. It describes what was obviously an intentional hit, where innocent bystanders were in the way.

As noted by many, we do not have a problem with guns in Canada, and banning them is irrelevant to most of these crimes. (Having said that I do not and never will own a gun, whether it be rifle or handgun.) The core problem we have is a small-L liberal view that excuses criminal activity by making something other than the criminal responsible for the acts.

I do believe that poverty has a role, as does addiction, and many other factors -- and, yet, most poor people I know don't steal or kill people to get by. It is insulting to classify people morally by virtue of their financial status, and wrong-minded to consider generalisations to be valuable in any of these situations.

So why don't we try to separate our perception of criminal acts from these other ills, focus on resolution of the specific acts, and ask how we can make resorting to such acts less viable. In other words, hold these damn people responsible and then accountable for their decisions.


Cole
said
0 0

Guns are not the issue. Guns will always be available for those who feel that they need them. Excessive violence is glorified all over the media. Wether this turns out to be a hit or gang inniciated activity; violence in every form must be unexceptable forms of entertainment. Social class strugle in our cities is becoming more prevelant. Violence is a direct result of the struggle.


W Bruno
said
0 0

If Canadian gun collectors and sports men are responsible hand/rifle gun
users. Then how are so many hand guns being stolen in Canada. All hand guns in the Toronto & GTA should be kept locked in lockers at the gun or shooting clubs. It makes no sense to place your hand guns with ammo. in the truck of your car as you travel between your place of residence and the gun club.Talk about limited useless security with no regulations.


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