Police are investigating an early morning shooting at the Vancouver waterfront that left one dead on Saturday. Areas around the popular destination were sealed off for six hours during the investigation.
A statement from the Vancouver Police Department said the shooting occurred at about 4:30 a.m. at the RiverWest building, 700 Waterfront Way. It said a 35-year-old newspaper carrier told investigators he had left his car to deliver newspapers at the building and returned to find an unknown man sitting inside the vehicle.
Police said that at some point after that, the carrier said he shot the other man. The man did not survive, police said.
“At this time, it is unknown what precipitated the shooting,” a police statement said. There is no danger to the public, according to the statement.
Ben Campbell, publisher of The Columbian, confirmed Saturday that the carrier was associated with the newspaper and that company officials stand ready to assist Vancouver police with their investigation as appropriate.
“At The Columbian, we contract with independent carriers to deliver our newspaper, as well as several other titles, including The Oregonian,” Campbell said in a prepared statement. “In some locations, contractors must leave their vehicle to deliver the newspapers, although in the last few years we have restructured our routes to minimize that exposure.”
Each of the buildings at the waterfront has nightly security patrols, according to Josh Oliva, representative of the owner of RiverWest. The Waterfront Vancouver district also hires a private security firm to patrol the exteriors of the buildings from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., he said.
“I’m shocked to see something like this,” Oliva said. “We’ll be working with the other owners at the waterfront to increase security presence.”
A resident of RiverWest told The Columbian that before the shooting, they heard an argument and someone shout: “Get out of the car. Call the police.” Multiple gunshots followed.
Police said the contractor had a concealed pistol license.
The Vancouver Police Department Major Crimes Unit is investigating. About a two-block radius around the scene on Waterfront Way was closed for six hours until late morning as investigators processed evidence.
It’s unclear if the carrier was injured. Their names have not been released.
