Calgary shooting investigations present police with roadblocks

Police say that as the city is coming up on a record number of shootings in a single year, they are finding it more and more difficult to make arrests in the incidents.

A lot of the problem has to do with the victims not wanting to speak with investigators, they say.

"We literally are getting calls from somebody showing up at a hospital with a gunshot wound to their leg and telling us that they don't want anything to do with us," said Calgary Police Supt. Scott Boyd during a presentation to the Calgary Police Commission last week.

So far this year, there have been 108 shootings in Calgary.

The latest incident took place in the 2000 block of 27th Street S.E. on Sunday evening. Police were called to the scene and discovered a young man had been shot in the leg.

Calgary Police Service officials confirmed to CTV News Calgary that the victim was found in the backyard of one of the homes in the area.

Officers taped off a white Jeep with the windows blown out and what appeared to be bullet holes.

In his presentation, Boyd says Calgary is on a dangerous trend.

"We know that we're on pace to break previous records with this level of violence and it's already taken too many lives," he said.

"The violence can be directly contributed to the wanton and reckless behavior of a few individuals in our city who do not reflect the same caring beliefs and values that the majority of Calgarians display."

This year, 12 people have died in the shootings and police add the vast majority of the incidents have been targeted.

Unfortunately, officials say almost 30 investigations don't have enough evidence to proceed.

Anyone who has information about any shooting is asked to contact the CPS non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers.