'We should all be very concerned': Police seek 3 men in Starbucks shooting at hospital
'There was a brief and volatile confrontation,' Const. Jason Michalyshyn says
Police have seized gun casings from a shooting at a Winnipeg Starbucks and are looking for three men involved in the Sunday night incident.
"We have individuals in our community … making some incredibly bad decisions at the risk of all of us who are going about our day," said Const. Jason Michalyshyn.
"We should all be very concerned, as we are very concerned."
No one was hurt during the incident, which happened around 10 p.m. Three shots were fired in the coffee shop, located inside the Canad Inns Hotel, which is attached to Health Sciences Centre.
Two men walked into the cafe and up to another man inside. After an abrupt talk, that man turned and ran while one of the other two pulled out a handgun, police said.
The fleeing man dashed behind the Starbucks counter as the gun was fired, striking a wall and some equipment.
"We're so thankful that no one else was caught in the middle of this," Michalyshyn said. "The fact that we're only talking about property damage is a good thing."
The two men then ran out and got into a dark-coloured SUV and sped away.
The man behind the counter also ran off, Michalyshyn said, adding police want to find all three.
"I can't tell you what was said, if this was a planned meeting or not. These are all questions that we're trying to learn more about, but clearly there was a brief and volatile confrontation," he said.
"There are a number of people we are eager to identify and certainly, hold these individuals accountable for their actions."
Health Sciences Centre was alerted shortly after the incident and went into lockdown. Hospital spokeswoman Anne Bennett said the lockdown lasted about 20 minutes and ambulances were temporarily diverted until the all-clear was given by police.
'I'm quite bothered by it'
Dave Russell said he was shocked to hear of the shooting. It made him worried about his father, who is currently a patient at HSC.
"I'm quite bothered by it," he said.
Russell praised staff at HSC for moving quickly to issue a lockdown.
"These people can't do anything, they're tied up with IVs and everything of that nature, so I was pretty happy that happened," he said.
Michalyshyn couldn't say if the shooting was gang-related and wouldn't comment on the caliber of gun that was used.
"We're going to look at any and all possibilities: whether or not these individuals have gang associations, whether or not this is drug motivated in any way," he said. "These are all questions that we're asking."
Meanwhile Canad Inns CEO Dan Lussier released a statement Monday saying the matter appears to be an isolated incident that wasn't related to its business.
"Canad Inns is saddened by the recent incident of violence in our community.... We are relieved that there were no instances of bodily harm," the statement reads.
"We spent the morning on site providing support and referring those in need to counseling. The safety and security of our staff and guests is paramount to us."
The man with the gun is described as having a medium build and black hair with some facial hair. The man with him is described as about six feet tall with a skinny build and facial hair.
Their SUV is described as charcoal or black in colour with a roof rack.
Police did not provide a description of the man who was targeted.
Anyone with further information about the incident is asked to contact members of the Major Crimes Unit at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).