Canada-wide warrants issued for 19-year-old man in connection with Edmonton extortions, Winnipeg shooting
The Edmonton Police Service has issued Canada-wide warrants for a man believed to be involved in an ongoing extortion investigation in Edmonton, as well as a shooting in Winnipeg.
Arjun Sahnan, 19, is wanted in connection with two drive-by shootings believed to be connected with the extortion investigation, and a shooting in Winnipeg on Dec. 24, 2023.
Dec. 21, 2023
Shots were fired at an upstairs bedroom window of a home in the Cy Becker neighbourhood in Edmonton at 2:50 a.m.
No one was injured. Six people, including two children, were asleep in the home at the time of the shooting.
"They're purposely targeting master bedrooms where people are sleeping," Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart told reporters in Edmonton on Tuesday.
"Kids are in these residences. They don't know who is inside these residences when they start firing rounds at these houses. So very scary. Very brazen and very careless."
Dec. 24, 2023
At 8:45 p.m., shots were fired at a house in northwest Winnipeg occupied by several people.
One bullet went through a bedroom, narrowly missing a person inside, before passing through a connecting wall into another occupied room.
No one was injured.
Police say the shooting was captured by security cameras in the area.
A vehicle stops in front of a Winnipeg home before shots are fired at the house. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)
A black SUV believed to be involved in the shooting had no front licence plate, which is unusual in Manitoba but standard in Alberta.
An SUV believed to be involved in a shooting in Winnipeg on April 30, 2024. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)
Investigators are looking for information about the SUV.
Police have also released surveillance images of a second person believed to be involved in the Winnipeg shooting in hopes of identifying him.
An unknown person believed to be involved in a shooting in Winnipeg on Dec. 24, 2023. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)
In both incidents, attempts were made to extort the homeowner for money before the shooting.
This is the first known instance of an extortion-related crime happening in Winnipeg.
Stewart says the victim is believed to have ties to the South Asian community in Edmonton.
"I can tell you [they're] connected to a home builder in Edmonton. And that's as far as I know."
Dec. 29, 2023
Shots were fired at an unoccupied house in the Fountain Creek neighbourhood of Sherwood Park, just outside Edmonton.
A bullet went through a window into a child's playroom and hit a toybox.
No one was injured.
A suspect vehicle was captured on security cameras in the area.
Police say the homeowner had not been threatened, and investigators believe the shooter may have targeted the wrong house.
"These individuals sometimes don't do a very good job of planning out some of these events. And in this case, we believe they just got the wrong house," Stewart commented.
The EPS Firearms Investigation Unit has determined the same gun was used in all three shootings.
Arjun Sahnan is in India: police
Investigators say Sahnan left Canada for India on a flight booked before the shootings in Winnipeg and Sherwood Park.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact police.
"As far as we know he is now in India. I strongly urge him to come back to Canada to face his charges," Stewart advised. "Regardless of whether he complies, we know who he is, and fleeing to another country will not stop us from attempting to locate him."
Stewart noted EPS is working with its federal counterparts to locate Sahnan, adding if he does return to the country, the Canada-wide warrant will allow authorities in other jurisdictions to arrest him.
In addition to the two shootings in the Edmonton area where Sahnan is wanted, police are also investigating 32 other incidents of attempted extortions, shootings and fires targeting the South Asian home-building community in Edmonton.
The incidents happened between October 2023 and January 2024.
The investigation has been dubbed Project Gaslight.
Investigators believe the crimes have been carried out by young men from the Edmonton area, but are being orchestrated by someone outside the country.
"In my opinion, they're being exploited to carry out these acts, and someone who was not in this country is benefiting from that," Stewart said. "I think the message is pretty clear. If you're going to commit one of these offences, and you're going to work for this individual, understand the consequences that follow."
As part of the investigation police executed search warrants and arrested a person in connection to a Jan. 10 drive-by shooting at a Cy Becker neighbourhood occupied by a family with children.
No one was injured, but police recovered bullets from inside the home.
Police had previously issued a release about the shooting looking for information about a suspect vehicle, which has since been identified.
The gun used in the shooting still hasn't been found.
Anyone with information about any of the crimes is asked to contact EPS at 780-423-4567, at projectgaslight@edmontonpolice.ca, or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
NEW What a wildfire survivor says she regrets not grabbing before leaving home
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
World No. 1 golfer charged with police officer assault before PGA Championship second round
World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and charged with the assault of a police officer in what he called a 'chaotic situation' before being released in time to start his second round at the PGA Championship on Friday.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
B.C. optometrist warns against trending eye colour change procedure
A medical procedure that can permanently change a person's eye colour may be trending on social media, but a B.C. optometrist is warning about the significant risks associated.
An airplane passenger was spotted in an overhead bin. This was the reaction
Airplane overhead compartments. Home to luggage of all shapes and sizes, the odd coat or two, several duty-free bags, a fair bit of dust and… passengers?