Edmonton shootings up 45% after first 3 months: police
It was a dangerous and active month of March for Edmonton police.
The Edmonton Police Service says it responded to 18 separate shootings last month, with most of them (13) resulting in injuries.
“These shootings give us plenty to be concerned about, especially when we see the number and severity of these incidents starting to reach levels we haven’t seen before,” said acting Insp. Eric Stewart with the EPS organized crime branch.
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Police say in 13 of the shootings, there was potential for innocent bystanders, including children, to be injured.
At least half of the shootings occurred between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
At least 10 of the shootings were targeted.
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Police say the number of shootings is unprecedented for the city, adding there was a 45 per cent increase in shootings from the first three months of this year compared to last.
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“One recent incident involved an altercation between two different groups in a major public corridor (97 Street between 129 and 137 Avenues),” said Stewart. “Two vehicles were travelling at high speeds while firing rounds at each other. We are lucky that no one was fatally injured in this situation.”
