A young man was shot and wounded last night outside the biggest hospital in the region, the second time in two days bullets have flown in the city.
Police are investigating links between the shootings, amid fears they could signal the resumption of a turf war over a suburban part of the city known as Spryfield.
The first incident happened Monday afternoon outside a pizza parlour in Spryfield. Jimmy Melvin, who was released two years ago halfway through a 22-year sentence for trafficking and assaulting a police officer, injured himself jumping to avoid gunfire. He was not hit.
His son, also named Jimmy Melvin, showed up at the scene while the police tape was still up. Recently released from custody after witnesses to an alleged home invasion recanted, he shouted, "There is no rats in the Melvin family." He spat and added "death before dishonour" before driving away.
Barely a day later the sound of gunfire echoed again. This time the scene was downtown, outside the IWK Health Centre. A man in his mid-20s was hit once and was expected to spend the night in hospital. He was known to police, who did not identify him.
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Oliver Moore