John Miner and Dale Carruthers
lfpress.com
Two shot near biker clubhouse.
Police are remaining tight-lipped on whether a shooting near a purported Hells Angels clubhouse early Wednesday morning is biker-related.
Shots rang out near Grey and William streets about 12:05 a.m. sending a man and a woman to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
"We don't believe them to be random targets. We believe they were targeted," said Const. Dennis Rivest.
"The male remains in hospital at this time in stable condition. The female has since been released."
Police pursued a vehicle that fled the area and stopped it after a half-kilometre chase.
Four people ran from the vehicle and three were arrested by police. A fourth got away.
The man on the lam is described as having tanned skin, possibly light-skinned black, bald, no facial hair, large build, approximately 260 pounds, wearing a light-coloured jacket and a black vest.
The shooting follows four arsons on the weekend that damaged four adult businesses, including at least two linked to biker organizations.
London's police Chief Brad Duncan confirmed the fires at a strip club, a tattoo shop and two massage parlours were connected and had possible links to outlaw motorcycle gangs. Ontario's biker squad is helping with the investigation.
The SOHO area was crawling with police Wednesday morning as officers canvassed the neighbourhood looking for potential witnesses.
One longtime neighbour said she's not worried about the violence that happened metres away from her front door.
"It was targeted. They know who they were after," said the woman, who didn't want to be identified.
But she was concerned that the shooting was so close to an elementary school.
With police tape blocking Grey St. between Adelaide and William streets, students and parents at Aberdeen elementary school were directed to use the rear entrance to the building.
A grandmother walking her two grandchildren to school said she knew trouble was coming to the area since late November when a suspected Hells Angels clubhouse set up shop in the neighbourhood.
"It was bound to happen," she said.
The shooting has her questioning whether Aberdeen is a safe place for her grandchildren.
Meanwhile, a massage parlour was hit by fire in St. Thomas Wednesday morning.
E-mail john.miner@sunmedia.ca, or follow JohnatLFPress on Twitter.
E-mail dale.carruthers@sunmedia.ca or follow DaleatLFPress on Twitter.
