Woman found with gunshot wounds in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

A woman was badly injured in what Vancouver police say is the third shooting in five days in the city.

The latest victim was found with gunshot wounds early Thursday morning in the Downtown Eastside, police said in a statement the same day.

She'd approached a passerby and asked for help. That person called police, who found the woman with serious injuries.

Officers performed first aid at the scene, then she was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police said they don't know much about what happened at this point. The victim is so badly injured she's been unable to give further details.

They think the shooting likely happened in the Downtown Eastside, as the woman was found near Main and East Cordova streets.

Officers said it's the third shooting reported since Sunday in Vancouver, though it's the first that prompted a news release.

The Vancouver Police Department used Thursday's statement on the latest shooting to alert the public to two others.

They said officers were called to a social housing building near the intersection of West Pender and Richard streets on Sunday.

It was reported that a man had entered the building and shot someone. The victim fled the scene, but was found with non-life-threatening injuries later on, in the Downtown Eastside.

And on Tuesday a man was shot outside a home near Commercial Drive and Graveley Street, they said. That man's injuries were also not life threatening.

No arrests have been made.

Neither shooting was made public by the VPD when it happened.

In a statement to CTV News about why there were no news releases issued about them, the department said "it's not always possible" to share information immediately with the media and public.

Among the reasons why information might not be shared are victim safety and witness co-operation, police said.

In these cases, both shootings are believed to have been targeted, and there was no immediate risk to the public, police said.

"After securing perishable evidence and interviewing victims and witnesses, we are now able to share some details and appeal for witnesses without compromising people's safety or jeopardizing the ongoing investigation."

Police said they're looking into whether any of the three are connected, and ask witnesses to contact them.