West End shootings linked, suspect arrested

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This article was published 28/05/2010 (5615 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — Police have arrested a 19-year-old gang associate they say was involved with two West End shootings this week in which innocent bystanders and vehicles were struck by bullets.

Winnipeg Police Service Chief Keith McCaskill said the accused — whose name has not yet been released — was involved in shooting up a Victor Street home Wednesday evening. Two girls, aged 10 and 8, were injured. Police say they were not the intended targets.

The same man has being linked to shots that rang out on Agnes Street Tuesday moments after the fatal shooting of Kyle Earl, 16, and the wounding of his 13-year-old friend, Byron Cook, on Toronto Street. He allegedly chased after Earl’s two killers — who have yet to be arrested — and fired several shots which struck two vehicles. Nobody was injured.

In reaction to the shootings, police announced Thursday there will be enhanced foot patrols and presence by the Street Crime Unit and Community Support Unit in the West End area.

"There were two innocent kids hurt in this," said McCaskill.

Police had said there was no connection between two incidents Thursday but then changed tack a day later. McCaskill said they received information Thursday that "shed a different light" on the shootings.

"One of the very important things for the public to understand in the West End is that we have taken the person off the street that shot, and shot again," said McCaskill. "That person is off the street."

A 14-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday in connection with the Victor Street shooting. The Free Press has learned he was out on bail at the time for a previous shooting incident that happened outside a Winnipeg middle school. He is accused in that incident of shooting two students with an air gun.

Police believe the 14-year-old was with the 19-year-old at the time of the Victor Street shooting.

"We said it wasn’t random, we didn’t believe it was, but our information now is that the (19-year-old) person that is under arrest, we believe was shooting at another individual and that the bullets went through that window," said Chief Keith McCaskill.

McCaskill didn’t say who the shooters were targeting when they ended up hitting the two girls. The oldest was struck in the leg with a bullet, while the youngest was grazed in the head with debris after three bullets pierced the window of the rental property at 542 Victor Street.

Another teenage boy lives at the property with the girls.

"It was a backdrop, almost," said McCaskill.

Police are continuing to search for the two men who gunned down Earl in what is believed to be a "targeted" attack. Both Earl and Cook had ties to the Indian Posse street gang.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca