Outraged by violence

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This article was published 06/07/2009 (6202 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

North End residents are outraged over a mid-day shooting Saturday in front of a Redwood Avenue store that is typically filled with children on a weekend afternoon.

"Three o’clock in the afternoon? There are all kinds of children around here at that hour. This has got to stop," said Bonnie Rotter, a resident of who has grandchildren in the area.

The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. in front of the Redwood Grocery at the corner of Redwood and Artillery Street. Three to four shots were fired.

Archie Mackay, 18, suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

He is in hospital in critical but stable condition.

Mackay lives in the area with his mother and at least one younger brother.

He arrived at the store Saturday by bike, according to a clerk in the store.

He either purchased, or was in the process of purchasing, cigarettes, potato chips and a soft drink when he bumped into a rival.

The clerk said that a scuffle ensued. The two men went outside and a short time later, the clerk heard a loud bang, followed by at least two more bangs.

"It’s all gang-related. We all know that," said a customer inside the Redwood Grocery, which reopened Sunday afternoon.

Another woman, who happened by the very busy store Sunday, announced to everyone that she was moving out of Winnipeg.

Her decision was made last year already.

"It’s getting closer and closer," she said, referring to the crime.

Following the Saturday shooting, a mother of two children was arrested for obstructing justice when she crossed the police tape while looking for her children.

The woman had been warned to stay outside the area. The woman is related to Rotter. A girlfriend is looking after the woman’s children.

Rotter said she still feels safe in the North End because it’s only a small segment of the population committing the crimes.

"It’s all drugs and gangs. That’s all it is. They’re not going to shoot at normal people," she said.

"It’s things like turf, and whether you went on their turf.

"I’m just surprised this happened at three in the afternoon when children could have been in the store."

No arrest has been made in the shooting. The investigation continues

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca

Double shooting on Ross Avenue

TWO men were shot just after 3 a.m. Sunday in the 500 block of Ross Avenue.

A 22-year-old man was taken to hospital in critical condition with gunshot wounds to his upper body. A 23-year-old acquaintance was treated in hospital for non-life threatening wounds.

Police said two groups of two males became involved in a verbal dispute that ended with the shooting.

No arrests have been made.

The shooting is not believed to be connected to a shooting about 12 hours earlier on Redwood Avenue, police said.