‘I haven’t been able to sleep’: Neighbour recounts finding bullet holes in apartment following Edmonton police shooting

A resident of Signature Place, located in central Edmonton, where a dramatic police shooting unfolded a week ago, says the incident has shattered his sense of safety.

“I haven’t been able to sleep since it happened. I’ve been shaking ever since,” the neighbour said, asking not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

The neighbour lives right across the hall from where the shooting happened. He came home to a disturbing aftermath, finding bullet holes in the wall outside his suite and a smashed door.

Photos shared with CityNews show what looks like bullet holes marked with tape on both sides of the hallway on the fourth floor of the building after the shooting near 121 Street and Jasper Avenue on August 12. The neighbour lives just metres away from where the officer fired two shots into a suite.

CityNews earlier reported about the officer-involved shooting, sharing videos of an officer on a fire truck ladder holding what appears to be a firearm pointed towards one of the balconies. Police confirmed the next day that the incident involved a man with multiple edged weapons, allegedly threatening people inside a suite. One person was shot and taken to hospital.

The neighbour says he was not home at the time of the shooting but came back to his residence an hour later. “I saw my door busted down. I saw bullet holes in the walls in the hallway. I saw blood all over the hallway carpets,” he said.

He said the property manager also searched his suite for stray bullets, but, at least so far, none have been found.

Criminologist Dan Jones, a former police officer, thinks the fact that no one was killed means the incident seemed to be handled well. But, he police should review how higher-powered guns are used in closed quarters.

“Bullets will go through drywall, specifically when you’re using (something) like an air 15 type carbine rifle, because they just have such high velocity speed,” Jones said.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), the province’s police watchdog, is continuing to investigate the incident.

Edmonton police, in a statement to CityNews on Wednesday, wrote: “The EPS recognizes that events like this can cause concern within the impacted communities. As such, the EPS works with community members to provide them with references to the EPS’s Crime and Trauma Informed Support Services (CTSS). We can confirm that CTSS was engaged in relation to this incident and is available to provide support as required.”

But this is a matter of safety for the neighbour across the hall.

He’s getting ready to move out after notifying the property owner in writing that he is breaking the lease – his safety is compromised.

 “I was terrified. Within two hours, I booked my next apartment viewing to try and get out of there. I didn’t feel safe there.”

However, the landlord won’t let him break his lease without paying a fee to do so. He’s also expected to continue paying rent until a new tenant moves in.

“I don’t understand why I’m being treated so cruelly and dismissively when I’ve done nothing to bring about the situation,” he said, adding that the landlord’s response “shattered my confidence in their ability to keep their tenants safe.”

“This is my home. To them, this is their place of work, but this is where I have to sleep at night.”

“They were coming after me for money instead of having conversations about what happened. There was no humanity.”

CEO of Leston Holdings, Dinika Matychu, said the company is committed to supporting residents and ensuring their safety.

 “We follow leasing terms and policies that apply consistently across all of our communities. In this case, we invited the resident to meet with us to discuss their concerns and potential options, but unfortunately, they have not been receptive to a meeting,” Matychu wrote in a statement to CityNews.

“The recent incident was very unfortunate, and the individual involved is no longer a resident in our community. This incident highlights the reality that mental health remains an ongoing challenge in our communities and beyond.”