Ottawa Police are investigating the city’s first murder of the year . Police say a man in his 20's was shot dead in a house in a targeted gang-related attack. It happened around 9:30 a.m. in a housing co-op on Forestglade crescent off Hunt Club and Conroy in the city’s southeast end on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. Police aren't releasing the name of the victim but the police chief is now confirming he was a known gang member.
Sources tell CTV Ottawa the 26-year-old was shot more than once.
Police tape and emergency cars lined the quiet street all day Friday, reminding residents that crime happens anywhere.
‘There are neighborhoods where you'd expect these things,’ says one man who has lived in the area for 8 years, ‘but this is not that kind of neighborhood so it does shock me yes.’
Police say at 9:30 this morning, some residents called 911 after they heard gunshots. Paramedics say when they arrived, the victim was already dead.
‘I’m speechless,’ says resident Josh Oare, ‘I got family. What if my family was outside when that happened you know?’
Sources tell CTV news the victim was a mid-level drug dealer. He was shot more than once.
While many neighbors say they’re shocked by the level of violence today on Forestglade, others say they have been concerned about possible drug deals in the area for years.
Nicole Pigeon lives right around the corner from the shooting. She says she has seen drug deals go down there.
‘You see the cars parked and see the people come by and they do their exchange and the car leaves,’ she says as she walks her dog by the police tape, ‘so it's quite obvious to me in my opinion what’s going on.’
Police have confirmed the victim belonged to a gang. With the city's focus on fixing the gang problem after a record number of shootings last year, Ottawa's Police Chief decided to speak with residents near Friday’s murder scene. Charles Bordeleau says he doesn't believe retaliation is an immediate concern but in a statement said, ‘These types of targeted events are very concerning to the community. I understand those concerns and I assured them that preventing and investigating these types of acts are a top priority for our service and our investigators are focused on finding those responsible.’
Brad Pye lives near the shooting and ran against Diane Deans in the last election. He says not enough is being done.
‘Maybe police aren't active enough,’ says Pye as he walked by the crime scene, ‘maybe they don’t patrol enough. You’re more likely to see a UFO than police car.’
With a record number of shootings last year and now a murder, the focus on fixing this problem is taking top priority; both for the police and the residents where these shootings are happening.
