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Two people are dead after a brazen shooting that rocked the Canadian mountain resort of Whistler, BC on Sunday
Police responded to shots fired near the Sundial Hotel shortly after noon. One person died at the scene and a second person succumbed to their injuries at the Whistler Medical Clinic, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Whistler (RCMP) said in a statement.
Two people were arrested and Inspector Robert Dykstra, the officer in charge of the Sea to Sky RCMP, said authorities were confident there was no longer a “risk to the safety of the community”.
Sunday’s shooting, which police said took place outdoors in the central area of Whistler Village, shocked the close-knit tourist community. Tourists and residents scrambled for cover as reports of gunfire spread through the village.
Resort operator Whistler Blackcomb said in a statement on Twitter that it was closing for the day “out of respect for all those affected.” The lifts remained open as all remaining guests made their way down the mountain.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence, and we support our community,” the resort operator said.
Local media reported that the shootings may be gang-related, citing unnamed sources. Police said they “have not yet determined if this incident and a recently located burned car are related, or if they are related to an ongoing gang conflict.”
Horrifying videos circulating on social media showed two men lying face down outside the hotel.
Canada vows to ‘freeze’ handgun sales and buy back assault weapons
Fatal shootings are rare in Canada compared to the United States, although they have grown in recent years — from 134 in 2013 to 277 in 2020, according to Statistics Canada. The percentage of homicides involving a firearm increased from 26% to 37% in this period. The majority of firearm-related gang homicides in 2020 (63%) were committed with a handgun.
Canada introduced new gun control legislation in May that, if passed, would implement a “national freeze” on the purchase, import, transfer and sale of guns, effectively limiting the number of guns this type in the country.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted at the time that gun violence has worsened in recent years. The nation “only needs to look south of the border to know that if we don’t act, firmly and quickly, it gets worse and harder to counter,” he said in the wake of mass shootings in Texas and across the United States. -Border with Canada in Buffalo.
Amanda Coletta in Alberta, Canada contributed to this report.