Shooting at Portage Place Mall

Roberta Hudson said she was walking with her four-year-old daughter near the Portage Avenue bus shelter attached to the Portage Place shopping centre shortly before 1 p.m. Friday when she was startled by a loud noise that sounded like a window being punched.

Hudson said that immediately after she heard the sound, a tall thin man ran from the large, glass-enclosed transit shelter and disappeared south on Edmonton Street directly across from the mall.

Moments later, the victim came out of the shelter cradling his abdomen and lurched inside the mall to seek help. She said she didn't see any blood, but he was clearly hurt.

"It looked like he was in pain holding his stomach," Hudson said.

Other witnesses reported hearing numerous shots in rapid succession. Police have confirmed there were at least two shots.

Police said the victim was struck by bullets in the leg and abdomen. A single spent shell casing was on the floor of the bus shelter.

Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Blair Good said the rapid-fire arrival of the organized crime unit to the scene was coincidence -- not an indication the shooting was gang-related.

"Just because it was a gang unit on scene doesn't mean it was a gang incident."

Paramedics took the victim out of the mall on a stretcher shortly after police arrived. The man was conscious as he was placed in the ambulance. Police said he was taken to hospital in critical condition, but was quickly upgraded to stable.

Police have identified the victim, but did not release his name.

Good said Friday afternoon that police are still working to identify the shooter.

Shortly after the victim was driven away by medics, a number of squad cars on scene peeled away with lights and sirens blazing. It's believed the suspect was spotted nearby and police were rushing to try to capture him.

Police called the shooting "extremely disturbing," and said it's lucky no one else in the area was hurt.

"Downtown, there's literally thousands of people wandering all over the place, (and) we're very fortunate some innocent passersby weren't injured," Good said.

james.turner@freepress.mb.ca