Winnipeg firearm incidents have neighbours, landlord frustrated

Some Winnipeggers are feeling uneasy after shots rang out three times at a Kate St. Residence in recent weeks — bullet holes and evidence markers still present — and the owner of this building says the crime has frustrating as he tries to better the property.

Vivian Ketchum, a community advocate, and nearby neighbour says the first incident happened in early January, when she heard what sounded like shots fired at the Kate Street residence, and while it appears this incident was not reported to police, two other shootings on Jan. 17 and Jan. 30, hit police radar, with WPS confirming there were arrests made in both cases.

“I’m actually getting scared that I’m going to get shot,” explained Ketchum. 

“I knew it was pretty close, because it was really loud. My cat jumped away and what I did when I heard it was I immediately turned off the light and I tried to move to a safer part of my place and I phoned 911 — this was too close.”  

While no injuries were reported, Ketchum worries it’s only a matter of time until someone gets hurt if the situation does not come under control.

“Somebody is going to get shot, and you know what’s going to happen, there’s going to be retaliation and it’s going to escalate,” explained Katchem. 

The last few weeks have been a challenge for one of the building’s owner, Brennan Ryan, who thinks it’s experiencing a case of mistaken identity. As while there may have been problematic tenants at the residence in the past, they’ve since been removed, but the residual violence they attracted, remains. 

“We’re not looking to be negligent or be uninvolved, it is sometimes difficult to screen tenants and find ones who are not going to cause problems and damages,” said Ryan. 

He says the situation has been hard, as his goal was to renovate the residence and better the property, saying when he heard news of the shootings his main concern was for the people who call the building home. 

“My first thought was I hope everybody is okay. My second thought was that I hope the people who are there — and wanting to stay there — and have a nice safe, secure place to live don’t feel that that’s not going to be possible anymore.” 

Alongside calling for more hands-on supports for tenants who may be struggling, Ryan says he is committed to addressing rising issues at the residence, stressing if there’s evidence of criminal occupants in the future, they won’t be there for long as the goal is safety and stability.

“I’m absolutely committed to getting those tenants out, because they are not good for me or the other tenants,” said Ryan.