WINNIPEG - Good Friday saw a violent start to the Easter long weekend in Winnipeg, as two men were killed in separate homicides.

In the first, a man in the West End might have been set upon for beer. In the second homicide hours later, a loved one found the victim in a park.

A 42-year-old man was found suffering from at least one gunshot wound on the sidewalk around 12:10 a.m. Friday. He later died in hospital. The caretaker at an apartment block across the street said she was home at the time and somehow didn't hear the shot.

Throughout the day, word started to spread in the neighbourhood about why the man had been shot, she said.

"We heard it was over a six-pack," said the woman, who asked only to be identified as Mary Jane. "It's very awful."

Police said it was too early in the investigation to comment on a possible motive.

Only a few hours later, around 5 a.m., an injured man was found by a loved one in Elmwood Park. Emergency crews arrived and police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

All police would say about the man's injuries was that they were "suspicious in nature." His age was not disclosed.

On Friday, many people out enjoying the warm, sunny weather appeared to be caught off-guard by the yellow evidence markers near the river and the police tape surrounding the park. Residents said the park is normally quiet and not known for late-night gatherings.

"It's usually a dog-walking park. Sometimes, the odd time, there's kids throwing off fireworks, but that's about it," said Keri Zajac, who lives in a home that backs onto the park.

The 29-year-old woman said she did not notice anything unusual Thursday night and she first heard about the death when officers knocked on her door about 8 a.m. Friday.

No names were released by police, and no arrests had been made by mid-afternoon Friday.

This is the second straight weekend in which two people were either slain or found slain in Winnipeg.

On March 31, the body of Carolyn Marie Sinclair, 25, was discovered near a trash bin in a lane.

That night, Johnathen James Felix was found fatally shot in the side yard of a house.

No arrests have been made in last weekend's homicides.
So far, investigators don't believe any of the cases are connected, said city police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen.