Two arrests after series of Saturday night vehicle shootings in Edmonton
EDMONTON – Police in Edmonton say a man and woman have been arrested after a car chase that began with what appeared to be random vehicle shootings that left several motorists injured.
At about 9 p.m. Saturday, police said officers were responding to a complaint that a male driver stopped at an intersection in the west of the city had been shot at by a suspect in a gray vehicle.
Officers saw bullet holes in the passenger door of his vehicle, but he was not injured.
Police say three other vehicles were shot at in the next half hour by someone in a vehicle matching the same description as the first. Three people were injured, two of them seriously when they were hit by bullets.
More than an hour later, officers spotted the suspicious vehicle on the south side of town, and they say that although it drove off, police continued the pursuit through nearby communities of Beaumont and Devon due to “dangerous driving patterns and evidence of a firearm.” in the vehicle.”
Police eventually overtook a gray Audi A4 and arrested a 31-year-old male driver and a 28-year-old female passenger, who were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Our investigation does not reveal any connection between the suspects or any of the victims who were simply traveling through the city and were the target of these random acts of violence,” Staff Sgt. Shelley Fisher of the Edmonton Police Department’s Investigative Response Team said in a press release Sunday.
“This is incredibly concerning.”
A firearm has been seized and police say they are investigating whether the vehicle has been stolen.
All injured are expected to recover, police said.
They said the man and woman who were arrested face 37 charges combined, including multiple counts of aggravated assault and gun-related crimes. The driver also faces other traffic violations.
Police are asking people who have dash cam footage of the incidents to contact them. They also thank RCMP for their help.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 16, 2023.
