The Showers Saga - 11: Gunfight at Pigeon Park (originally posted Feb 16/08)

The CKNW "Breaking News" alert came in on my BlackBerry at 9:25 Friday night: "A man has been shot and killed across from Pigeon Park in the Downtown East Side. Vancouver Police say the man was shot while sitting in his van."

It's Murder #6 of 2008 for the City of Vancouver alone. That's a murder a week, if you're scoring at home. If you include the homicides in the rest of Metro Vancouver and go back over the past 12 months, rather than just since Jan. 1, people are offing one another at an alarming rate in this region. There is no consolation in Bugsy Siegel's famous remark, "we only kill each other": one of the more shocking massacres included two innocent bystanders, either caught in the overall hail of bullets or taken out -- along with the four "targets" -- because they were witnesses. It's no consolation, either, to say, "well, one fewer drug dealer out there". The victim was "known to police", but they "know" a lot of people out there, and because the drug trade is so lucrative, they will get to "know" a lot more.

The "hit" took place as Barry and Brodie were working on the plumbing for The Lord's Rain. They'd just finished running the 1" pipe from the outside (evidently, they finally found the right spot after jackhammering through the century-old concrete), and were back inside when they heard the sirens. At first, they thought it had been an accident, then went outside to see yellow tape all over the place, the area crawling with rozzers, and Brodie's van -- with his tools -- caught inside. Work was suspended for the evening.

Further sign of God's Hand on the project for blessing: Brodie and Barry had already finished the outside work when the shooting happened. Brodie was not at his own van -- which was parked right behind the van the victim was sitting in (see above) -- getting tools when it happened. Shaughnessy, South Granville, The Drive, any Vietnamese restaurant after 3 am ... why shouldn't our little parish -- the DTES -- have a franchise in the MML (Murder & Mayhem League)?

All the more reason why we need The Lord's Rain to remind the people who live there that they are not forgotten and deserted because of the perception of violence.

We're still there, guys. God is still there.