Police searching for suspect seen armed with submachine-style gun

Winnipeg police are asking for the public’s help as they try to find a man who was seen with a submachine gun-style weapon at a Henderson Highway hotel Saturday night.

A suspect has not yet been located, the police service stated in a news release Sunday. The man allegedly sprayed bear spray inside the Curtis Gordon Hotel (1011 Henderson Hwy.) and brandished the gun just before midnight Saturday. A witness captured video of the man walking across the hotel parking lot while armed with the weapon. The video was circulated on social media, where a post compared the weapon to an “uzi” submachine gun. Police located an airgun at the scene.

“Officers flooded the area in search of the suspect but he was not located. During the search, police recovered a CO2-powered gun that matched the appearance of the weapon seen in the video. However, investigators cannot confirm at this time whether the recovered gun is the same weapon shown in the footage. Until proven otherwise, police are treating the incident as involving a real firearm,” the WPS news release stated.

The suspect is described as a tall, thin man with a light complexion. He was carrying a black backpack and was wearing a grey sweater, beige pants and a black baseball cap with white lettering.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the WPS Major Crimes Unit at 204-986-6219 or anonymously at Crime Stoppers 204-786-8477 or winnipegcrimestoppers.org. Do not approach this potentially armed suspect, police warn.