Man shot, robbed at online sale meetup on Maryland Street

Winnipeg police have warned the public to be wary when buying and selling goods via online advertisements, after a man was shot and robbed on Saturday when he met with a stranger to sell him an expensive electronic.

Police officers rushed to Maryland Street near Wellington Avenue at about 2 p.m., where they found the victim, who’s in his 30s, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Paramedics took the man to hospital in critical condition. He has since been upgraded to stable condition, but Winnipeg Police Service spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said his injuries are “life-altering.”

The suspect remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, said McKinnon.

“These situations can potentially be dangerous,” said McKinnon about buying or selling items online. “Of course, this is a tragic incident, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen (robberies) like this.”

Further troubling, she said, is that the victim was shot rather than simply robbed.

“This is serious stuff. This is completely random,” said McKinnon.

Police released two images of the alleged shooter, a tall Black man with braided hair, who was wearing all black clothing. The surveillance pictures show him wearing a black hoodie with a logo on the chest, black shoes and white socks.

“We need to find out who this suspect is, he needs to be identified, and that’s going to happen through the public,” said McKinnon. “This was just such a tragic, violent, unfortunate ending to this situation.”

Police say anyone with information that might help investigators locate the suspect should call major crimes detectives at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS). If the suspect is spotted, said McKinnon, the public should call 911.

She would not delve into details about the shooting, citing the fact the suspect has not yet been identified.

A resident of Maryland Street, Jonathan Green, said he noticed police in the area when he arrived home Saturday afternoon.

“A forensics truck, police tape, a police car — I couldn’t tell what had happened,” said the 41-year-old, who has lived on Maryland for about five years.

The Free Press confirmed the shooting took place near the victim’s home.

McKinnon said she hopes the public will heed the potential risks of online sales and how to stay safe when buying or selling goods, particularly expensive items such as electronics.

“Online platforms have become such a big part of our daily life,” said McKinnon. “Just to make a few extra dollars or sell some items, get rid of some clutter — I use them frequently, we’ve all done it… (it’s) just sober second thought, be really aware.”

She encouraged people to meet at exchange zones outside WPS stations when conducting a transaction. Each of the city’s four police stations, which are located at 245 Smith St., 100 Sinclair St., 1750 Dugald Rd. and 2321 Grant Ave., have such a zone.

While police officers don’t oversee the transactions directly, McKinnon said each area is well-lit and monitored by surveillance cameras.

“There’s always police around all of the police stations, so it’s a place where you can go and hopefully feel safe to sell your items, and it’s going to deter people who… have another plan in mind,” said McKinnon.

An alternative would be to meet in a well-lit public space, during the daytime, and take a friend or family member.

Further, she suggested taking a photo or screenshot of the information of the person involved in the transaction.

“That way, you’ll at least have some type of record of who you had communication with,” said McKinnon.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca