Police investigate after man shot in back near St. John’s Park

Police are investigating after a man was randomly shot in the back while walking near St. John’s Park on Canada Day.

The victim, in his 30s, was walking along the riverbank toward the Redwood Bridge around 8 p.m. when the suspect confronted him and shot him from behind. The victim ran to Main Street before calling police, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a news release Friday.

The victim did not see the shooter. He was taken to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Officers secured the scene and canvassed the area, but have not announced any arrests.

WPS spokesperson Const. Dani McKinnon confirmed the shooting is believed to be random.

St. John’s Park encompasses 7 hectares between North Point Douglas and the North End. It features paved walking paths that form a circuit throughout the green space, while a network of informal trails branch into a forested area along the western bank of the Red River.

Those trails stretch beyond the park’s southern boundary and along the riverbank to the Redwood Bridge. On Friday morning, the brush was badly overgrown and littered with garbage, tents, shopping carts and the charred remnants of makeshift fire pits.

Down on the riverbank, near the southern edge of the park, a pair of uniformed police officers were seen speaking with several people in a large encampment.

One man, who spoke briefly with the Free Press, said he was at the encampment on Canada Day and was startled by the sound of “a big loud bang” and then people running, around the time of the shooting.

He declined to say anything further.

Other people in the encampment refused to comment.

McKinnon said investigators have not linked the shooting to the encampment. She could not confirm precisely where the shooting occurred, in relation to the park.

Elsewhere, the area was well-maintained, with city staff tending to flower gardens and a group of seniors playing a game of lawn bowling on a fenced patch of manicured grass.

The shooting marks the second random attack near St. John’s Park in less than one year.

A 44-year-old man was seriously injured there in October, after an assailant attacked him from behind with a machete and bear spray while he was alone around 3:30 a.m., police have said.

“Despite his injuries, the victim managed to walk to Main Street, where he collapsed, and emergency services were called,” the release said.

The man was taken to hospital in unstable condition, and later upgraded to stable, it said.

The investigation revealed there was no known connection between the victim and the suspect. The victim did not get a good look at his assailant because the incident was unprovoked and sudden, police said at the time.

On Friday, Const. Stephen Spencer confirmed there were no updates to the case from October and nobody has been arrested. The investigation remains open.

Police do not believe it is connected to the Canada Day shooting, Spencer said.

“Other than it being close to the same location, that would be the only thing linking these two together at this point,” he said.

Spencer advised pedestrians to stick to paved walkways in Winnipeg parks, particularly in areas with higher rates of violent crime.

Police data shows 56 violent crimes were reported in the St. John’s Park neighbourhood from April 2024 to March 2025. The data set includes the park and several surrounding blocks.

“You would definitely want to avoid walking alone at night in any park in the city. Always try to go with someone else, go with a friend and make sure someone knows where you’re going,” he said.

Police asked anyone who may have information to call investigators at 204-986-6219, or submit a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or winnipegcrimestoppers.org

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca