GANGS, DRUGS, HORRID TRAGEDY

Narcotics Fuel Incidents Like Banquet-Hall Fatal Shooting

A recent wave of gang-related violence -- including this weekend's
brazen mass shooting and killing inside a Winnipeg wedding reception
- -- is likely being fuelled by a growing demand for drugs by
Winnipeggers who cross all ethnic, social and geographical boundaries.

Police and justice sources say the general public probably doesn't
realize the direct links between addiction and crime. Gang members are
stockpiling weapons, settling old scores and running wild as they
compete for big profits. The risks of being caught or even killed are
simply seen by most as the cost of doing business.

And what a business it is. Crack cocaine has become prevalent on the
streets of Winnipeg and is finding its way into the homes and hands of
people from all walks of life. The recent downfall of the Manitoba
Hells Angels has only created opportunity for several lower-level
organizations to try to fill the void.

Police have not officially confirmed Saturday night's attack at Club
13 is tied to gang activity but sources say it is obvious. The
unidentified gunman opened fire on a large crowd of people attending a
function that included several members of the Manitoba Warriors street
gang. There was no robbery attempt and no other plausible motive or
explanation.

Sources believe the gang associates were the intended targets, though
none was shot. Unfortunately, three innocent bystanders were hit,
including a 50-year-old woman who was struck in the head as she looked
at raffle prizes. Her common-law husband was hit in the back, while
another woman was grazed with a bullet. Both have been treated and
released from hospital.

Police have no description of the suspect, who fired several shots
through an open rear door before fleeing into the night. Investigators
have seized video footage from inside the Main Street facility and are
looking at photographs taken by guests.

The Manitoba Warriors have a long local criminal history and are
currently at odds with at least two main rivals -- the Native
Syndicate and the Indian Posse. At least 10 other people have been
shot in recent weeks in the North End, which is territory the three
groups routinely frequent. One of those victims was killed.

Julian Sher, a Canadian expert on organized crime who has penned
several books on the subject, said the sudden spike in violence isn't
surprising. He said police have made great strides in cutting off the
legs of the local Hells Angels through two recent sting operations
that saw two presidents and several other full-patch members arrested
and jailed.

"Crime on the streets follows the law of the jungle. When one of the
big predators is taken out of the picture, other predators move in,"
Sher said in an interview Monday. He said the Hells are clearly at the
"top of the criminal food chain" that would be responsible for
importing and selling much of the drugs in Winnipeg.

Sources believe much of the recent violence is a continuation of
long-simmering tensions between the Manitoba Warriors and Native
Syndicate, which escalated into a riot at Stony Mountain prison in
January.

Sources have told the Free Press one of the groomsmen at the wedding
has ties to the Manitoba Warriors. The man and several fellow gang
associates fled the facility as the bullets started flying, but police
located and questioned them later. Sources say associates of the Hells
Angels were seen in the area at the time but no direct link has been
established.