Police say woman seriously hurt in shooting near Vancouver homeless camp

VANCOUVER – A woman has been seriously hurt in a shooting that police say happened not far from a homeless camp on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Officers were called to a report of the shooting Saturday and police say the wounded victim showed up in hospital a short time later.

Police say the 53-year-old woman was stopped in a vehicle just west of the camp when the shooting occurred.

The woman, who lives in Powell River, B.C., told police she had been visiting a man who stays at the Oppenheimer Park encampment.

The victim has had surgery and police say her injuries aren’t expected to be life-threatening.

The Vancouver Police Department has warned of a significant increase in weapons, violence and calls for service at the campsite as gangs compete for territory in the park.

Police say they thwarted a murder plot recently by arresting three street gang members who were allegedly planning to kill a rival drug trafficker who operates near the park.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2019.