Shooting on Calgary public bus leaves man in life-threatening condition amid downtown safety concerns

One person is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a shooting on a bus Wednesday morning on the east side of Calgary's downtown.

Police were called to Third Street S.E. near City Hall at around 11:40 a.m. for reports of a fight involving weapons on a city bus that stopped outside the Central Library when the incident escalated.

A man who police said was involved in the altercation was taken to hospital and was in critical condition from a gunshot wound.

Police said several bystanders attempted life-saving measures for the man prior to him being taken to hospital.

Police said they contained a nearby restaurant and searched it after reports that one of the suspects had entered shortly after the incident. But police didn't find anyone inside.

On Thursday, police said that officers are searching for a 28-year-old man in connection to the shooting. The man is wanted on six charges, including aggravated assault, careless use of a firearm and firearm possession contrary to a prohibition order.

Two men believed to have taken part in the fight were initially taken into custody. However, they were released pending further investigation.

Police believe the people involved were known to each other.

Shooting raises more safety concerns

Last week, a rash of recent violent incidents near Calgary Transit stations prompted the city to boost the deployment of peace officers and security staff to "areas of high concern."

A man allegedly stabbed four people and assaulted two others in an attack on April 3. There were also recent incidents at the Lions Park CTrain station and Erlton Stampede station that resulted in injuries and charges.

The announcement of increased safety measures followed various previous initiatives taken by the city in attempts to respond to issues on transit.

Responding to questions during an unrelated press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld called the shooting incident disconcerting, and said it speaks to a wide-scale problem going on in the city. 

"Our folks have been out on the transit lines and will continue to be. But that's why, all along, I've been framing this as larger than transit, larger than just LRT. This is going on all over in our city," he said.

"Very disconcerting, obviously. Somebody bear-sprayed. Obviously there were shots fired, and somebody to the hospital in life-threatening condition. That's very problematic."

Transit safety issues widespread across Canada

In recent months, Calgary Transit users have expressed safety concerns tied to their commutes. Jurisdictions across Canada, including Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver, have been dealing with rising safety concerns on public transit. 

Earlier on Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed while riding a bus in Surrey, B.C., prompting RCMP to increase patrols of Surrey transit hubs.

While the focus in Calgary has been on CTrain and CTrain platform safety, the president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Canada (ATU) local 583 said that incidents and altercations also happen on other forms of public transportation.

"It happens on the bus as frequently as on the train," said Mike Mahar in an interview with CBC. "It's just not as visual, so it doesn't get noticed as much."

In January, the ATU — a union that represents around 35,000 transit workers across the country — called for a national task force involving all levels of government to tackle violence against workers and riders on public transit systems across the country.

"Every week we have a major incident that puts our members at risk and this is quite frightening," Mahar said. "We have incidents that put our members at risk weekly and put the public at risk as well."