One person has died after gunmen opened fire on a sport-utility vehicle outside an upscale hotel in Kelowna, B.C. Sunday afternoon, police have confirmed.
Initial reports said six people were rushed to hospital in the wake of the incident. RCMP confirmed the fatality late Sunday.
Unconfirmed local media reports identified the deceased man as Jonathan Bacon, one of three brothers alleged to have gang ties across B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
The shooting began around 2:30 p.m. local time when at least two gunmen opened fire on the SUV, which was sitting outside the Delta Grand hotel. Witnesses said it appeared the shooters were using automatic weapons. The gunmen then hopped into a silver or light-coloured SUV and fled the scene.
Kelsey Carwithen of the British Columbia Ambulance Service told The Canadian Press the victims were taken to Kelowna General Hospital. One of the victims was in serious condition, Carwithen said.
Video footage from the scene showed paramedics removing one man from the bullet-riddled and placing him on the ground. The man appeared conscious but was covered in blood.
Witnesses reported hearing anywhere from 15 to 60 shots fired within seconds.
"I heard gunshots, it sounded like something was collapsing, like a building was collapsing," one witness told CTV British Columbia. "And then you saw a guy in a mask holding a gun and it was an automatic."
While a motive for the shooting was unclear late Sunday, the incident came nearly two years after RCMP established a task force to combat a surge in gang activity in Kelowna.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
