Several residents at a North Delta highrise spent Monday night waiting to be let back into their apartments, after Delta police locked the building down following reports of a man with a gun threatening partygoers inside.
According to a press release from the Delta Police Department, officers received a call around 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 about a situation at Delta Rise (11967 80th Ave.).
The caller said a man had threatened another man with a gun at a social gathering in the building. The man who had been threatened, allegedly fearing for his life, had jumped from a 19th floor balcony to an 18th floor balcony and entered another apartment. The man then hid in that apartment until police were contacted.
Police arrived shortly after, the release said, and officers contained the 19th floor suite.
“Because of the threat of the firearm, this was deemed to be a significant potential risk to the public,” DPD public affairs coordinator Cris Leykauf said in a press release.
The DPD contacted the Lower Mainland District Integrated Emergency Response Team (ERT) to help enter the 19th floor suite, as they believed the suspect could still be at the scene. DPD say they made multiple attempts to contact the suspect.
Around 2:30 a.m., police obtained a search warrant and ERT entered the suite. Neighbouring suites were also searched.
The suspect, who is known to police, was not found.
Questions and speculation by residents were common on social media, as residents in the building — particularly those on the 19th floor — were kept outside until early Tuesday morning.
According to comments on Facebook, some residents suspected there was a shooter, while others thought it was a hostage situation.
“We want to thank the residents of the Delta Rise for their patience and their cooperation,” Leykauf said. “We understand this was very inconvenient, particularly as it was a chilly night.”
Police provided shelter for the displaced residents, including a bus, until the situation was resolved, also bringing in food and coffee.
“We also want to thank the building’s concierge, who stayed late helping officers coordinate communication with residents,” Leykauf said.
There were no injuries reported to the police regarding this incident, however there is some damage to a number of suites on the 19th floor.
The DPD is working with other Metro Vancouver police forces as well as the Real Time Intelligence Centre-BC in an effort to locate the suspect.
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