Regina police investigating drive-by shootings

There were five gun incidents in less than a half hour in Regina late Tuesday night, and police believe they were perpetrated by a group of people driving around in a truck.

In three of those incidents, three different men were shot. There also was a report of a gun being fired and another report of a robbery at gunpoint.

According to Regina Police Service Deputy Chief Dean Rae, it’s safe to say the incidents were connected, but there isn’t any indication the victims knew each other.

“These individuals just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and were walking down the street when this occurred,” Rae said during a media conference Wednesday.

Rae said it’s believed there was a group of people in a dark-coloured truck, but police don’t have any descriptions or identities of any suspects.

According to police, the first call came in around 10:40 p.m., when officers were dispatched to the area of 14th Avenue and Reynolds Street for a robbery.

A 33-year-old man told police he was walking when a vehicle — described as a black, extended cab, Ford F-150 truck — pulled up beside him. The man said one of the occupants of the truck pointed what appeared to be a gun at the victim and demanded his property.

After the man gave them his items, the truck sped off. He wasn’t injured.

About 10 minutes later, officers went to a Regina hospital after being told that a 29-year-old man had been shot. The police determined the shooting had taken place minutes earlier in the 1900 block of Montreal Street.

The victim reportedly was leaving a home when a vehicle — which police say was described as a “big, black four-door truck” — stopped on the street in front of the house. Someone in the truck shot the man and the vehicle took off. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Shortly after that call, police received news that a gun had been fired from a grey truck at Seventh Avenue and Retallack Street. The caller who reported the incident refused to meet with police, and officers who went to the area didn’t find any evidence of a gunshot.

At about 11:05 p.m., officers were sent to the area of Second Avenue and Garnet Street after getting a report that a 38-year-old man had been shot.

The victim, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, told police a newer, grey F-150 had stopped beside him. Someone inside the truck shot the man and the truck drove off.

Less than five minutes later, police received word that a 41-year-old man had been shot near Third Avenue and Athol Street. This time, police said, a grey F-150 with a black stripe down the side stopped beside the victim before someone in the truck pointed a gun at him and shot him.

The man sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said in the release that a stolen Ford F-150 had been found abandoned Wednesday morning outside of Regina by Lumsden RCMP.

Rae said there isn’t anything at this time to indicate any gang connections or any connection with the murder in Regina on the weekend.

There have been at least 20 serious incidents reported to the public by police in the last two weeks, including assaults, robberies and a murder. Rae said he doesn’t know why there seems to be an increase of those things lately.

“We don’t know what’s driving this at this point in time, we’re not sure what it is,” he said. “We’ve talked about the prevalence of crystal meth in our community before and what it does to people — we don’t know if it’s related to that. At this point in time, we have more questions than we do answers.”

Rae did say people should be aware of their surroundings and if they see anything suspicious, they should contact police.

Anyone who witnessed anything during the incidents or has information about them is asked to call the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500, their local law enforcement agency, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick