DANGER REPORTS

In a year that has seen a maelstrom of targeted shootings in B.C., the code of "no women, no children" seems to no longer abide.

Since Feb. 3, four women with links to gang activity have been gunned down in targeted hits, an anomaly in the Lower Mainland's male-dominated gangland violence.

"We haven't seen this very often; we certainly can say we've seen an increase in the number of women which appear to be targeted," said Cpl. Dale Carr, spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. "This indicates that women are not exempt from being targeted." First there was Brianna Kinnear, then Nikki Alemy, then Laura Lamoureux and last week Betty Yan. All four had links to either drug or gang activity. All four were gunned down in targeted shootings.

The murders seem anomalous, said gang expert Michael Chettleburgh, because we haven't heard much of this before. "We are going to see more of (these targeted hits) in the future because more women are getting involved in the game," he said.

That wasn't the case 15 years ago, when veteran gangsters upheld common street rules best documented by rapper Tupac's "Code of Thug Life." New gangsters don't subscribe to this code, said Chettleburgh, because "anyone's fair game".

While less than 10% of gang members in Canada are women, they still have roles in criminal activity.

Gang members' girlfriends may often work in the underground sex trade as exotic dancers or escorts.

"They need to produce for the gang if they're going to be in the game," said Chettleburgh. These areas also open up new routes and customers for drug trafficking, he added.

"We are just starting to understand the level of involvement of women," said Chettleburgh. "But they have always been there." He said it wouldn't be unlikely to hear of more women involved in the business of gangs being killed in the crossfire.

"If you've chosen that lifestyle, you've also chosen that risk," he said. "You can expect at some point you may be in the path of a bullet."