'I thought it was balloons bursting': Event organizer reacts to fatal shooting at Edmonton community hall
A party that was supposed to be a community fun day turned deadly after gunfire killed one man and injured six others.
The shooting happened early Sunday morning at the Duggan Community Centre.
The event organizer, who will not be identified by CTV News Edmonton due to fears for their safety, said in an interview that the event for the Jamaican community should have had 100 attendees.
However, the promoter said attendance at the event swelled to more than 200 people as many uninvited guests came.
When the shots rang out, the organizer ushered people into the kitchen for safety – closing the shutters and door as they waited for police to arrive.
“I heard one explosion,” they recounted to CTV News. “I thought it was balloons bursting.
“But then after that explosion, I heard numerous other explosions and so then I realized it was not balloons, it was gunshots.”
The event organizer said they heard more than 20 gunshots, adding that they do not know who fired the shots or what led to the gunfire.
Edmonton Police Service (EPS) offered few details about the event, other than a man in his 20s had died, and six other men were injured.
Three suffered non-life threatening injuries and were released from hospital Sunday, while one was in serious condition and two had non-life threatening injuries.
The Duggan Community League president confirmed there are two dozen security cameras inside and outside the community hall, and all footage from the event will be shared with police.
Laura Cunningham-Shpeley, executive director of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, said this is not the first time a community hall in our city has seen a party turn into a homicide investigation.
“It’s been a couple of years, and there’s been change over,” she said. “People are excited to rent out their halls again and get people connected.
“We’re devastated that Duggan is having to deal with this.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.