Four men injured in ByWard Market shooting

Ottawa police continue to search for suspects after four men suffered gunshot wounds in a shooting shortly before last call at an establishment in the ByWard Market.

Officers on foot patrol at approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday heard a series of gunshots in the 100 block of Clarence Street, where bars and restaurants were packed with people.

Police say officers found four men with gunshot wounds in an establishment on Clarence Street, between William and Dalhousie streets. 

"I was walking around late last night and I saw all the police cars and everything like that," Graham Fox said. "It's unsettling for sure."

Paramedics transported two of the victims to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A third victim was listed in serious but stable condition at the Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre early Saturday morning. The fourth victim was treated at the Montfort Hospital for minor injuries, according to paramedics.

No one is in police custody in connection to the shooting.

"There’s so many people in this area after hours and stuff like that. If anything like a shooting is happening after hours, the risk that someone is going to get hurt that wasn’t otherwise involved is obviously really likely," Fox said.

The Ottawa Police Service Guns and Gangs Unit is investigating the shooting. At 12:30 p.m., officers remained inside an establishment as part of the investigation, with yellow police tape at the door.

"It's concerning because it was never like this before," resident Jeff Munro said. "It is concerning."

Rideau Vanier Coun. Stephanie Plante says she hopes the four victims recover and police find the suspects responsible for the shooting.

Plante, whose riding covers the ByWard Market, insists the market is "overwhelmingly safe" for residents and tourists.

"We have 50,000 unique visitors to the ByWard Market every single week and occasionally you will hear of issues that happen at night," Plante said Saturday.

Plante says she has heard from business owners and residents that they would like to see a police station in the market, but she would like to see "something like a hub" with police and OC Transpo special constables.

"We do have foot patrols and we do have the community engagement team out there and looking out for our residents," Plante said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 613-236-1222, ext. 5050.

The shooting happened just days after business owners in the ByWard Market called for greater security as part of a revival of the popular tourist area.

Brian Lahey, secretary of the Properties Group, told the finance and corporate services committee that security should be the first priority.

"Shoplifting, aggressive panhandling and having vagrants sleeping on the sidewalk is destroying the daytime activity," Lahey said Tuesday. "Nighttime security is also an issue. Gangs and shootings must stop. Without a return to normality on security issues, our market is severely threatened."

The committee approved a new plan for the ByWard Market, which includes creating a new ByWard Market District Authority. One of the mandates of the new authority is to undertake initiatives to improve public safety in the market area.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Tyler Fleming and Ted Raymond