Ballistics confirm link between Pizza Hut, Edmonton police shootings
Edmonton Police Service investigators believe the 16-year-old boy who fatally shot two EPS officers is the same person who shot a Pizza Hut employee.
Constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan were shot when they attended a family dispute call at the Baywood Park apartment complex at 132 Street and 114 Avenue just after midnight on March 16.
The 16-year-old boy who shot the officers then shot his mother multiple times in a struggle over the firearm, before killing himself, EPS said, adding no other person fired a gun during the event.
The teen's mother is currently in hospital in serious, but stable condition.
On March 12, a Pizza Hut employee was shot while working at the restaurant at 133 Street and 114 Avenue, just one block from the apartment complex.
Security video from the attack shows the shooter entering the restaurant and waving a long-barrel gun, before shooting the employee.
He remains in hospital in critical, but stable condition.
Investigators now say the shooter escaped from the restaurant and ran toward the complex, which is made up of over a dozen buildings, but police were not able to locate him.
"There’s literally 700 residences, and there's a lot of buildings that are right there, so nothing actually was tracked to that building at all," Deputy Chief Devin Laforce told reporters at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
'THE SAME GUN'
Police say a bullet found at that shooting scene has been forensically matched to a firearm that was found at the apartment where the two officers were shot.
"Investigators believe the suspect in the March 12 shooting to be the same male responsible for the deaths of the two EPS members on March 16," Laforce said.
"The same gun was used in both events, and at this time we don’t have any information that links the gun to any other crimes."
Police are still trying to determine how the teen came to be in possession of the gun, and say that's part of the reason they have not made his identity public.
"How did a 16-year-old obtain this gun? Working backwards, whoever he got that gun from probably faces some criminal jeopardy, and we’re working backwards to try and figure out what that looks like," Laforce said.
Investigators say there was no information to suggest the teen's parents, police dispatch, or Contables Ryan or Jordan knew there was a firearm in the home when the two officers responded to the call.
MOTHER COOPERATING
The teen's parents, including his father, who was also in the apartment at the time of the shooting, are cooperating with the investigation, Laforce said, adding his mother is not yet able to speak.
"She can't talk, so right now the communication has been by written communication. Obviously we want to continue to interview her, and that’s going to happen when she’s released. She’s expected to recover."
Autopsy results released on Thursday concluded the teen died from a single gunshot wound to the head, which was called consistent with being self-inflicted.
Investigators say it will take more time to receive toxicology reports on the teen, so it's too early to know if he had any substances in his system at the time of the shootings.
Police also confirmed Thursday that the teen had been taken into custody under the Mental Health Act after a call to the apartment in November 2022.
"We can now share that this youth was apprehended under the Mental Health Act by our officers, and that was after consultation with our PACT, our Police and Crisis Teams," said Supt. Shane Perka. "The youth was then transported to the hospital for assessment. I can’t speak any further as to the outcome of that assessment."
Perka added police have yet to obtain full details about the teen's medical history.
Investigators are also in the process of investigating the teen's electronic devices, which they believe might shed light on a motive for the shootings.
"There's other exhibit items, such as our shooter’s phone and a computer that we're actively searching and trying to get into, and as we learn more we'll have some answers we hope."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
DEVELOPING 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
Dolphins 'smile' at each other when they play and to avoid misunderstanding, study finds
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city
Three pit bulls involved in a deadly attack on another dog last month in Kamloops, B.C., tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, and the city is going to court to have them put down.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment on Friday
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.