Canadian police say several homeless people have been shot in the Vancouver suburb of Langley and a suspect has been arrested.
Key points:
- Police said the arrested suspect is the only person responsible
- 2020 saw the deadliest gun attack in Canadian history
- It is illegal to possess any type of rapid fire weapon in Canada
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said most of the shootings occurred in downtown Langley, about 48 kilometers southeast of Vancouver.
There was a report of a shooting in neighboring Langley Township.
Police Sergeant Rebecca Parslow said she had no immediate details on the victims’ conditions.
Local authorities issued a mobile alert in the early hours of the morning, telling people to avoid the area as they sealed off the city centre.
They later announced that they had the suspect in custody.
Police said the man in custody is believed to be solely responsible for the shooting. (AP: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
Authorities initially said they weren’t sure if the shooter acted alone, but police later said the man in custody is believed to be solely responsible.
A homicide squad confirmed on social media that their investigators have been dispatched to Langley to assist the RCMP.
Yellow police tape surrounded a sandwich shop and a parking lot at the scene of one of the shootings.
A black tent was set up over one of the crime scenes.
Mass shootings are less common in Canada than in the United States.
The deadliest gun attack in Canadian history took place in 2020 when a man dressed as an RCMP officer shot people in their homes and set the entire province of Nova Scotia on fire, killing 22 people
A police officer stands near a vehicle with bullet holes in the windshield and driver’s side window at the scene of the shooting. (AP: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
The country overhauled its gun control laws after a gunman named Marc Lepine killed 14 women and himself in 1989 at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique.
It is now illegal to possess an unregistered handgun or any type of rapid fire weapon in Canada.
To buy a gun, the country also requires training, a personal risk assessment, two references, spousal notification and criminal background checks.
AP