The person who shot a 29-year-old man outside Portage Place Mall Friday afternoon is still on the loose as police study security camera footage and witness reports.
The victim has undergone surgery and is in stable condition.
He was rushed to hospital in critical condition after being shot in the stomach and thigh just before 1:00 p.m. Friday afternoon.
It happened inside a bus shelter on Portage Avenue in front of Portage Place Mall while dozens of horrified bystanders watched.
The man was able to walk to a security guard inside the mall after being shot.
One witness told CTV News she saw a man believed to be in his forties fleeing the scene.
"As I was walking toward Portage, I saw some guy running down the street, running real fast, and another guy walking into Portage Place holding his stomach," she said.
Investigators say there were early reports that the suspect might have jumped on a bus, but those reports turned out to be false.
As disconcerting as this shooting was for those who watched it happen, police are equally troubled by the brazen nature of the attack.
"Anytime you have a shooting incident at 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon, it's a concern. Innocent bystanders could get hit," said Cst. Blair Good of the Winnipeg Police Service.
Officers are still investigating the motive for the shooting, and the relationship between the victim and the shooter. Sources tell CTV News the shooting may have been related to a drug deal, but police are not confirming those details.
The scene of the shooting happens to be the location for one of the high-tech surveillance cameras the city is planning to install next January. The plan has been in the works since last spring.
It is designed to cut down on crime in Winnipeg's core area. Last October a man was stabbed during the day outside Portage Place Mall.
With a report from CTV's Kelly Dehn
