Railtown man allegedly shoots a gun inside his apartment, neighbours evacuated: VPD

Vancouver – A Railtown man faces firearms charges after he allegedly began shooting a gun inside his apartment building – a volatile situation that drew more than three dozen Vancouver Police officers to the East Vancouver neighbourhood Sunday night.

Vancouver Police crisis negotiators and specially-trained members of VPD’s Emergency Response Team were among the officers who responded just after 7 p.m. last night, when a man in his fifties began firing rounds inside a building near Main Street and Alexander Street.

A person who was with the man when he began firing quickly fled and called 9-1-1, reporting that the shooter had been acting strangely for several days. VPD officers surrounded the building and evacuated neighbours who were in harm’s way so they could begin communicating with the suspect.

About 90 minutes after the first shot was fired, a man exited the apartment armed with a loaded gun and a knife. He was taken into custody by VPD’s Emergency Response Team. Less-lethal ARWEN rounds were deployed so officers could safely arrest the suspect, who was not seriously injured.

There were no injuries to the public or police.