Family terrified after Selkirk Avenue home shot up

A young family was terrified Saturday night when their home was mistakenly targeted in the dead of night by three men with a sawed-off shotgun, police say.

The three men pulled up to a dwelling in the 200 block of SelkirkAvenue in a car at 1:45 a.m. One of the men got out of the vehicle and fired a shot through a front window.

Three people, including an 18-month-old child, were inside at the time. No one was injured.

The previous tenant had moved out unexpectedly two weeks ago, the building manager told CBC News. The young family had moved in only three days before the shooting.

The tenants heard someone knocking on their door and decided not to answer, the building manager said. There was another knock, which the family also ignored.

Then they heard a gunshot ringing through their kitchen, he said.

The handle of the door had also been ripped off.

Police arrested three suspects a short time later in the 100 block of Selkirk Avenue. All three suspects, aged 46, 47, and 62, face numerous firearms charges related to the incident.

Const. Jay Murray said the suspects believed they knew the people living in the suite, but the family had recently moved in.

All three suspects have a long history of being involved with police, Murray said.

The family was very frightened by the incident, the building manager said,adding hewasworking on moving them into another location.

He added that he hadn't heard any complaints about the previous tenant.

Worrying gun trend

The incident is part of a worrying trend observed by the Winnipeg Police Service firearms investigative analysis unit, Murray said.

"They've seen a quantity of guns this year already that they normally don't see until the end of prior years," he said.

• Winnipeggers exchanged 1,700 guns for cameras in 2012

"These firearms are being used, and they're being used to hurt people and damage property and scare people."

Anyone with information about any firearms in the city isasked to call 911 or 204-986-6222, or contact Crime Stoppers.