July 25 (UPI) — An emergency alert sent to the cellphones of residents in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland warned people about an active shooter situation.
The message was sent around 6:20 a.m. PT warning of “multiple shooting scenes,” and “involving transient victims.”
The police-issued alert warned people to avoid the downtown core of the City of Langley and Langley Township, which are located approximately 34 miles east of Vancouver, the province’s largest city.
It also said officers “have interaction with one suspect” and gave a physical description of a Caucasian male in brown Carhart coveralls, although it was not clear if they were the same person.
Officers were also attempting to locate a white car.
A second alert issued around 7:20 a.m. PT then cleared the man police were in contact with.
“Efforts are still being made to confirm only one suspect is involved,” reads the second alert.
It’s not clear what the total number of victims is or what their conditions are.
The violence comes after a chilling double-murder in the nearby resort municipality of Whistler, where a known gang member and another man were killed Sunday. The two were shot outside a hotel mid-afternoon, leading to a lockdown in the busy tourist town.
Police later arrested “several” people in relation to what they described as a targeted, gang-related shooting.
