The Edmonton Police Service says the first weekend of the new year was “marred by violence,” stretching resources to conduct multiple investigations.
In four days over the weekend, police responded to four suspicious deaths, three in 2023. If they were considered homicides, Edmonton would be halfway to its January record — just for the first two days of the year.
Edmonton had a record six homicides in January 2019, according to CTV News Edmonton statistics compiled since 2006.
The year with the fewest homicides in January was 2012 with zero. The 17-year average is three murders.
Last year, Edmonton had two confirmed homicides in January. In 2021 and 2020, there were four and two, respectively.
NEW INCIDENTS
In a statement Tuesday, police revealed that in addition to the four suspicious deaths, officers responded to three non-fatal shootings and “numerous” weapons complaints, including knives and bear spray.
EPS says a 50-year-old man has already been charged after barricading himself in a residence with firearms on December 30.
That same day, officers were also dispatched to a weapons complaint at the Eaux Claires Transit Center that involved bear spray and a firearm.
Two days later, EPS said it was investigating a shooting after a man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot injuries.
SUSPICIOUS DEATH
A 28-year-old man was found in serious medical condition in southeast Edmonton by officers responding to a gun complaint near 26th Street and 19A Avenue. That man later died in hospital.
EPS officers are investigating the death of a man early on New Year’s Day in west Edmonton. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton)
On New Year’s Day, police said they were investigating two suspicious deaths. At 2:45 a.m. that day, police were dispatched to a disturbance at a southeast home.
A 51-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman were found injured, with the man later dying in hospital and the woman being left in hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators believe a burned-out truck found a little less than two kilometers from that incident is connected.
Police investigate a home in Central McDougall after a sudden death Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Brandon Lynch).
The other death occurred in Central McDougal, where a reported sudden death was deemed suspicious by detectives.
On Jan. 2, a man was found shot outside a central shelter in Edmonton and later died of his injuries in hospital.
“RESOURCES ARE EXTENDED”
Although police have no control over the timing of the incidents, Sgt. Aubrey Zalaski, a police spokesman, said officers and investigators were extremely busy over the New Year’s weekend.
“Resources are limited and the Homicide Unit has recently had to rely on other investigative areas to keep pace and maintain our high investigative standards,” Zalaski said in a statement.
“Between the three suspicious deaths investigated by Homicide, numerous other shootings, brandishing of knives in public places and multiple incidents involving bear spray, it was an extremely violent weekend in the city,” he added.
“THE STATE IS DAMING RIGHT NOW”
Zalaski says investigators have been pulled from other units to support the homicide unit, with the potential to divert some additional resources from “proactive” policing.
“The one thing we will not sacrifice is the quality of our investigations,” he said in the presence of the media on Tuesday afternoon. “This is the number one priority. And yes, our homicide staff is maxed out, but we have other investigative areas that we can pull investigators from to help.
“So we’re holding the dam right now.”
Edmonton police spokesperson Sergeant Aubrey Zalaski speaks to reporters at a media availability Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton).
As of Tuesday, Zalaski said it was too early to say whether all the suspicious deaths were related.
In December 2022, there were 21 reports of shootings. A year earlier, EPS says there were seven reported shootings.
In total, police responded to 165 shootings in Edmonton in 2022. In 2021, EPS said there were 150.
As for shootings, police don’t have “definitive” answers as to why there was an increase last year. Zalaski said it could be related to socioeconomic conditions or organized crime and drug trafficking.
“Obviously, we want to get to the answer as quickly as anyone, but sometimes those answers aren’t as obvious or easy to understand,” Zalaski said.
EPS is asking anyone with information to contact them at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online.
Zalaski said there are many cases where cases are solved by key witnesses or critical tips from the public.
“Community safety is our entire responsibility,” he added. “We would like to use the public as our eyes and ears and information to help us investigate and resolve these things that are happening.”
With files from Kira Markov and Nicole Weisberg of CTV News Edmonton
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