A Man Was Shot In The Chest With A Crossbow & Vancouver Police Say That The Attacker Fled

A man is in hospital after being shot in the chest in a crossbow attack in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside on Saturday. Vancouver police say they believe the victim was "targeted" and that the attacker fled the scene.

Sgt. Steve Addison told Global News that police officers on a "routine patrol" were flagged down by bystanders and that "someone pulled the arrow from the victim’s chest before officers arrived and applied pressure to the wound."

Police said that the victim was rushed to the hospital and that the suspect fled and has not been found.

Global News also reports that "investigators believe the attack was a response to an altercation which took place in the area earlier in the day."

In an update posted to Twitter, VPD added that the "investigation is centred around the encampment at Carrall and Hastings."

In response to questions from the public about the recent uptick in Downtown Eastside violence, the Vancouver Police Department tweeted a video from March of Cst. David Steverding explaining "how real, fake, and improvised weapons remain a big concern in the neighbourhood."

"We're getting lots of questions about Downtown Eastside violence, after 5 stabbings & a crossbow attack yesterday," police said in the tweet.

The video shows weapons that were found and relinquished in the area last year. Steverding shows a large array of weapons, both real and fake. He adds that it's "concerning" to see the number of firearms and "how realistic they look," although some were replicas.

He adds that in the last year police did recover two crossbows in the area.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.