'They're not done yet': Retired detective expects more violence post-Nguyen shooting

A retired gang unit detective says Friday's fatal shooting of a prominent gang leader in a community outside Calgary will likely not be the last act of violence between the rival gangs.

Doug Spencer, who worked in the gang unit of the Vancouver Police Department, tells CTV News that the shooting death of gang member Trong Minh Nguyen will likely be followed by retribution.

"You're not getting (out of) it unless you completely change your life and move away," said Spencer.

He adds that even the highest ranking gang members can never really stop looking over their shoulders.

"And they don't forget, they can't, right? They can't let anybody get away with it," said Spencer. "So they'll still take them out."

Ngyuen was gunned down by two shooters in the driveway of a Langdon home Friday afternoon. The 39-year-old was released from prison in April after serving out a sentence for conspiracy to commit murder. He previously served a six-year sentence for shooting a rival gang member and had previous convictions for firearms and assaulting a police officer.

Surveillance video posted online showed a deadly and disciplined ambush. RCMP confirm the video is authentic.

"They know what they're doing those guys, they're not rank amateurs," said Spencer. "That's a total professional hit.”

Nguyen was one of the leaders of the Fresh Off the Boat (FOB) which has a nearly two decade long battle with rival FK (FOB Killers). At least 25 people have been killed in the war and many others have been injured, including people with no connection to either group. Some were caught by stray bullets, others deliberately killed in a case of mistaken identity.

A woman riding in the passenger seat of Nguyen's vehicle Friday was also hurt in the shooting attack and airlifted to hospital but has since posted online that she is recovering. CTV News has reached out to the woman but has not received a response.

The daylight shooting took place on a quiet residential street in the hamlet that's roughly a 10 minute drive from Calgary's eastern city limits. A playground is just four doors down the road and upset neighbours say it's fortunate more kids were not out in the street that day.

Spencer has seen what happens when civilians get hurt in gang shootings and has a few words of caution for anyone who may be planning further hits.

"You're going to get all the police resources that are available thrown at you," he says. "So these little gangsters have got to realize that they can go out and sell their drugs and do their little gangster stuff. But when you bring the public into the crosshairs of a rifle, you're going to have the police's interest."

Spencer says the only real solution to the ongoing bloodshed is prevention. After a career of attending murder scenes, he's now attending schools with his group Odd Squad Productions, made up of former detectives and gang members who managed to escape the life.

Calgary police say organized crime is a factor in approximately 25 per cent of shootings in the city.

"Through the collection of intelligence, we use a strategic approach to identify and monitor the offenders who have the highest propensity for violence in our city. This intelligence also informs our ability to prevent, suppress and investigate organized crime and is a key factor in maintaining public safety. Organized crime conflict can have far-reaching consequences and anyone with information about organized crime activity in Calgary is encouraged to contact police or Crime Stoppers," CPS said in a statement to CTV News on Tuesday.

When asked about the shooting on CTV Morning Live on Tuesday, CPS Chief Mark Neufeld said only that detectives are keeping a close eye on developments and want everyone to help investigators with any video or tips they might have.

"As you can imagine, our folks are closely plugged in because of the ties to Calgary," said Neufeld. "So we'll get an update with respect to the status of the investigation and see where that's going to go."

RCMP have not made any arrests in connection to the gunning down of Nguyen and have not released any details regarding suspect descriptions.