Winnipeg man left with ‘life-altering’ injuries after being shot and robbed during online sale meetup

Winnipeg police are looking for a suspect after a man suffered a life-altering injury trying to close an online deal for electronics. CTV’s Harrison Shin report

Winnipeg police are searching for a suspect considered armed and dangerous following a robbery and shooting in broad daylight.

“This is serious stuff. This is completely random, completely unknown,” said Const. Dani McKinnon, a public information officer with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS).

Police said the incident happened on Saturday around 2 p.m.

A man in his 30s was meeting an individual to sell an “expensive piece of technology” through a common online sales platform. However, police said during the meet-up in the 600 block of Maryland Street, the man was robbed and shot.

“This was just such a tragic, violent, unfortunate ending to this situation,” said McKinnon, noting the man is in hospital in stable condition but has been left with life-altering injuries.

Now police are searching for the suspect who remains on the loose. Police released images captured with surveillance cameras showing the suspect. He is described as a tall man with some braided hair wearing all black clothing.

“The key piece here is, we need to find out who this suspect is. He needs to be identified, and that’s going to happen through the public,” McKinnon said, adding police are not at the stage to issue a warrant.

McKinnon confirmed the man is considered armed and dangerous and urged anyone who sees him to call 911.

She said this isn’t the first time police have seen an online sales meet-up turn bad. She encouraged Winnipeg residents to make use of the ‘buy and sell exchange zones’ available at all four WPS stations.

“It’s a place where you can go and hopefully feel safe to sell your items,” she said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Major Crimes Unit at [phone] or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at [phone].