An innocent 15-year-old who was shot during a night out with his family in Vancouver over the weekend has died of his injuries.
The Coquitlam boy and his parents were driving home Saturday night when they were caught in the crossfire of a brazen public shootout on Broadway.
On Monday afternoon, Police Chief Adam Palmer promised the teenager's loved ones that investigators are doing everything possible to determine who is responsible.
"We will not ever be able to fully comprehend your grief, but the Vancouver Police Department will do whatever it takes to seek justice for your son," Palmer said at a news conference.
Police have not confirmed how many people participated in the violence or how many shots were fired, but one bullet struck the teenage bystander as he sat in the backseat of his parents' car.
He was rushed to hospital, where he was put on life support until his death.
"It's heartbreaking," Palmer said. "Every time criminals decide to exchange gunfire on our streets, they endanger the lives of everybody around them. The events of Saturday night were reckless, were reprehensible, and there's no justification for this type of senseless violence in this city."
The boy's name hasn't been released, and little is known about him. He belonged to the Coquitlam Christ Church of China, according to one member who posted an update on his condition earlier in the day and asked people for their prayers.
The Coquitlam school district told CTV News it is providing support services to any students or staff who are affected by the tragedy.
Three people were injured altogether, including one man who is believed to have taken part in the shootout. Kevin Whiteside, a 23-year-old Vancouver resident, died of his injuries overnight.
"Mr. Whiteside is known to police. The other suspect or suspects have not been identified," Palmer said.
Whiteside’s criminal record includes charges of assault with a weapon and uttering threats. He is believed to have been targeted in Saturday’s shooting, though the police investigation is still in its early stages.
The third person wounded, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, suffered only minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The case was immediately made a top priority for police, who assigned more than 50 officers to the investigation. While Vancouver records its share of shootings, it's rare to see one that injures a bystander, let alone kills an underage child.
Palmer said the last similar incident he could recall was the shooting of Rachel Davis, a Good Samaritan who was gunned down while trying to break up a fight outside a Gastown nightclub in 2004.
"I still think that Vancouver is a safe city," Palmer said. "It's been many, many years since we've had a shooting like this in Vancouver where an innocent person's been hit, but we do have incidents like this."
Police have asked anyone with video of the shooting or aftermath to come forward and help with their investigation.
Someone who works at a nearby business told CTV News their surveillance camera captured an armed man with a bandana over his face following behind a group of people.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith
