It wasn’t the first time she felt unsafe.

An employee at a business in Winnipeg’s Westwood neighbourhood had a cup of coffee hurled at her by a customer recently.

Sometimes, she says she has had to lock the doors because she knows the person outside isn’t just looking for a snack — they’re a threat. Other times, she’s kept her distance, hoping the danger would pass.

The woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, says incidents such as these have become so common they almost feel normal.

“It’s a s—t-show,” she said with a laugh, describing the growing chaos. She wasn’t surprised to hear a gas bar just down the road in the 3600 block of Portage Avenue was held up at knifepoint Sunday night.

Not with what she’s seeing on the news and on social media, including security footage from

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