Whitehorse RCMP have found the suspect’s vehicle involved in last Friday’s shooting in Porter Creek, but have yet to find the alleged shooter.

Supt. Chan Daktari Dara gave an update to local media Tuesday at the Whitehorse RCMP detachment. Dara is the criminal operations officer responsible for core policing in the territory.

He said the RCMP responded to a call of shots fired near the Alaska Highway around Centennial Street and Wann Road at around noon last Friday.

Police found a Hyundai Sonata in the ditch. The vehicle was empty, but it appeared to have an unspecified number of bullet holes. Police believe the bullets were fired at that exact location.

Dara said officers spoke to witnesses and viewed security camera footage from nearby businesses, but these investigation methods yielded limited information. Police were only able to get a rough description of a suspect and a vehicle.

Last Saturday, police found the two males who had been in the Sonata when it was shot at. Neither was injured in the incident. Dara believes one of these men – whose names were not released – may be known to police.

He said he was not in a position to say if they gave statements, but did say investigators gained more information.

“Officers determined that it was a targeted shooting and related to the illicit drug trade with possible ties to organized crime,” Dara said.

He added that wherever there is a market for illicit drugs, there will be some kind of organized crime presence.

“The Yukon and Whitehorse specifically are not immune to that,” Dara said.

There is a strong market for crack-cocaine in the territory, he pointed out.

He explained that organized crime can take many forms. It can originate from inside or outside the territory.

He could not say if organized crime is getting worse in the Yukon.

The next break in the investigation came when the suspect’s vehicle was found within Whitehorse city limits. Dara did not share an exact location or date, but did say it was sometime last weekend.

To date, the alleged shooter has not been found, and police are seeking the public’s help in identifying and finding this individual.

The suspect is described as a black male and approximately six feet tall. Police could not provide any additional description details.

Dara said police will be charging the suspect with two counts of attempted murder once he’s arrested.

“Our investigation continues to advance,” Dara said.

At this point, he added, police are unable to say if the suspect is still in Whitehorse.

He said there are a number of teams and resources allocated to this case. The local general investigation section, Yukon Major Crimes Unit and frontline staff are working on it.

Initially it was all hands on deck when the call came in.

“Everybody responded to ensure that public safety was paramount,” Dara said.

There are no Outside police resources involved yet.

Dara explained that there is no information that links this incident to a shooting at a Jarvis Street bar late last year nor any other criminal activity.

He said these shootings are a concern for police, and the public should be rightfully concerned.

That said, Dara clarified that the public does not need to be overly worried. He explained that these incidents were both planned shootings against a specific target and not random acts.

The community shouldn’t have to tolerate the violence, he added.

He said violence often comes in spurts. He pointed out that there was a spike in gun violence in 2017, but that it quieted down.

“Hopefully, these latest incidents are not a tell-tale sign of more to come,” Dara said.

The RCMP will work with partners to mitigate gun violence.

He warns the public that the suspect should be considered dangerous and to not approach him. He recommended calling the Whitehorse RCMP detachment at 667-5555 with any information.

He added no matter how insignificant you believe your tip may be, it’s important to share it with police.

Information can be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Tips can be given online at www.crimestoppersyukon.ca or by phone at 1-800-222-8477.