Shocking violence, ongoing police presence leave neighbourhood residents shaken By: Tyler Searle Posted: 6:23 PM CST Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 Last Modified: 6:58 PM CST Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 Updates

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This article was published 27/11/2023 (706 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One day after four people were killed and another critically injured inside a West Broadway home, area residents stood by with grim fascination as forensic investigators collected evidence from the scene.

Some people paused as they passed the two-storey house at 143 Langside St. and watched police — dressed in full, white body suits — enter the dwelling. Others, kept their heads down and shuffled along, or peered from neighbouring windows and porches.

A pair of Winnipeg Police Service cruisers were parked up on the curb and blocked the sidewalk directly in front of the house, which was cordoned off by layers of yellow police crime-scene tape. Nearby, a forensic van sat idling.

One neighbourhood resident said the incident, in which the five victims were gunned down inside a multi-unit home early Sunday is difficult to ignore.

“What horrible and sad circumstances,” said the woman, who asked not to be named due to safety concerns.

“What’s sad about it, is it’s all still here. I get that it’s forensics and they have to take their time and do a thorough job, but in the meantime… it’s hard.”

The woman, who lives next to the crime scene, was returning to her home carrying a bag of treats from a nearby convenience store to share with her 15-year-old daughter — who stayed home from school Monday.

“She’s traumatized and she’s sitting inside,” the woman said, pointing toward her apartment.

“We smudged (with sage, a traditional Indigenous cleansing practice) and she said, ‘Can you go smudge the house?’ I said, ‘I can’t.’ We will wait until police are done and then I will go around. All we can do is pray for these families that have been affected by this.”

Others in her building and the surrounding area are equally shaken up, she said.

“All my neighbours, they saw it all. People being taken out in a stretcher. My one neighbour, she’s 60, she’s still crying right now, just so upset that young people have lost their lives.”

Richard Fulham, who owns the property where the slayings took place, was stunned when police called to alert him of the news. None of the victims, who police identified Monday afternoon, were his tenants, he said.

The level of violence is unprecedented in the neighbourhood, he said.

“It’s more than upsetting. As a proponent of West Broadway for a long, long time, it doesn’t speak to West Broadway, which is a vibrant, up-and-coming community. I am beyond — there’s just no words for it. I’ve owned the building for 25 years and we’ve never had a problem,” Fulham said.

“It’s shocking for the poor people who were killed, it’s shocking for us and it’s shocking for West Broadway, as a whole.”

Speaking to reporters during a news conference, WPS Chief Danny Smyth said gun violence has been trending upward in the central district, where West Broadway is located, amid decreases in other districts.

Some neighbourhoods, including at least part of West Broadway, require additional attention and help, he said.

According to WPS data, the neighbourhood logged 344 violent crimes between August 2022 and August 2023 — including 55 such incidents in the blocks immediately surrounding 143 Langside St.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service has visited the Langside property 15 times since 2018, including two calls for paramedic services this year.

Angela Klassen, co-ordinator of Bear Clan Patrol’s West Broadway chapter, agreed the community is devastated by the violence.

“It’s heartbreaking for the families involved,” she said. “The community is still in shock right now. West Broadway is usually a very quiet, family oriented community with some local businesses. We are just trying to figure it out.”

Klassen said there has been some early discussion within the chapter about increasing neighbourhood patrols to help residents feel more at ease.

“We just have to be extra vigilant right now in our community,” she said. “We’re still trying to wrap our heads around it.”

Premier Wab Kinew addressed the incident and issued a warning while speaking with reporters Monday afternoon.

“To the people responsible for this, I want to send a clear message: you do not run our streets, you do not own our streets, we own these streets, the people of Manitoba do, and we deserve to feel safe in our communities, and you deserve to be held accountable. And that is what is going to happen,” he said.

Kinew assured the public his government intends to be tough on crime, while also providing resources for people “may be mixed up in the negative course of life.”

“We’re going to offer you a chance to turn your lives around for the better, but if you don’t take advantage of this opportunity, you are going to be held accountable, as well. And so, our government is turning the page, it’s a new day, the era of rhetoric and press release is over, the era of action is here,” he said.

The province plans to dedicate more support to law enforcement and the City of Winnipeg, with details to be announced in the coming days, he said.

— with files from Chris Kitching and Danielle Da Silva