'Exceptionally violent weekend': EPS stretched after multiple weapon incidents already in 2023

The Edmonton Police Service says the first weekend of the new year was "marked by violence," stretching resources to run multiple investigations.

In the span of four days over the weekend, officers responded to four suspicious deaths, three in 2023. If deemed homicides, Edmonton would be halfway to its record for January — in just the first two days of the year.

According to CTV News Edmonton statistics collected since 2006, Edmonton had a record six homicides in January 2019.

The year with the lowest number of homicides in January was 2012, with zero. The 17-year average is three homicides.

Last year, Edmonton had two confirmed homicides in January. In 2021 and 2020, there were four and two, respectively.

NEW INCIDENTS

In a Tuesday statement, police revealed that in addition to the four suspicious deaths, officers responded to three non-lethal shootings and "numerous" weapons complaints that involved knives and bear spray.

EPS says a 50-year-old man is now facing charges after he barricaded himself in a residence with firearms on Dec. 30.

That same day, officers were also dispatched to a weapons complaint at the Eaux Claires Transit Centre that involved bear spray and a firearm.

Two days later, EPS says it is investigating a shooting after a male presented to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries from a gunshot.

SUSPICIOUS DEATHS

A 28-year-old man was found in medical distress in southeast Edmonton by officers responding to a weapons complaint close to 26 Street and 19A Avenue. That man later died in hospital. 

• Autopsy confirms man, 28, died of multiple gunshot wounds: EPS

EPS officers investigating the death of a man early New Year's Day in Edmonton. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton)

On New Year's Day, police said two suspicious deaths were under investigation. At 2:45 a.m. that day, police were dispatched to a disturbance at a southeast home.

A 51-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were found injured, with the man later dying in hospital and the woman remaining in hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators believe a burned-out truck recovered just under two kilometres away from that incident was connected. 

Police investigate a Central McDougall home after a sudden death on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Brandon Lynch).

The other death happened in Central McDougall, where a reported sudden death was deemed to be suspicious by detectives. 

On Jan. 2, a man was found shot outside a central Edmonton shelter and he later died from his injuries in hospital. 

'RESOURCES ARE STRETCHED THIN'

While police have no control over the timing of incidents, Sgt. Aubrey Zalaski, police spokesperson, said officers and investigators have been extremely busy during the New Year's weekend.

"Resources are stretched thin, and Homicide Section has recently needed to lean on other investigative areas to keep pace and maintain our high investigative standards," Zalaski said in a statement.

“Between the three suspicious deaths being investigated by Homicide Section, numerous other shootings, wielding of knives in public, and multiple incidents involving bear spray, it has been an exceptionally violent weekend in the city," he added.

'HOLDING THE DAM RIGHT NOW'

Zalaski says investigators are being pulled from other units to support homicide, with the potential for some extra resources from "proactive" policing activities to be redirected.

"The one thing we will not sacrifice is the quality of our investigations," he said at a media availability Tuesday afternoon. "That is priority number one. And yes, our homicide personnel are stretched to their max, but we do have other investigative areas that we can pull investigators from to assist.

"So we are holding the dam right now."

Edmonton Police Service spokesperson Sgt. Aubrey Zalaski speaks with reporters at a media availability on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton).

As of Tuesday, Zalaski said it is too early to tell if all the suspicious deaths are related.

In December 2022, there were 21 reported shootings. The year before, EPS says there were seven reported shootings.

In total, police responded to 165 shootings in Edmonton in 2022. In 2021, EPS said there 150.

• Timeline of December 2022 Shootings
• 'Very reckless': Police investigating 5 shootings over one October weekend

When it comes to shootings, police have no "exact" answers as to why there was an increase last year. Zalaski said it might be related to socioeconomic conditions or organized crime and the drug trade.

"Obviously, we want to get to the answer just as fast as anybody, but sometimes those answers aren't as obvious or easy to figure out," Zalaski said.

EPS are 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 times where cases are solved by key witnesses or critical tips from the public.

"The safety of the community is all of our responsibilities," he added."We would like to use the public as our eyes and ears and information in order to help us investigate and solve these things that are going on."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Kyra Markov and Nicole Weisberg