Posted by 
Re. “3 injured in WEM shooting,” Aug 23
Inestigators believe the shooting was targeted and those involved are known to each other.
Acting city police Chief Darren Derko told a press conference Tuesday that investigators believe the shooting was targeted, but stressed it is too early to say much else.
“We believe this was a targeted incident between the two groups, and the events leading up to the shooting are evidence of that,” he said.
“Who those groups are and their motivations behind the shooting is still not clear, but we do not believe there is any risk to the community at this point.”
Police were called to the mall around 7:40 p.m. after reports of an “exchange” of gunfire in Phase 3, on the complex’s west side.
Derko said four men were returning to their car after spending about 40 minutes inside the mall when a group in a white SUV — which police believe was waiting in the parking lot — drove by and opened fire.
Three of the men are believed to have been hit, two of whom collapsed to the pavement. The two others fled into the mall. One, who suffered a gunshot wound, burst into the nearby Wild West Shooting Centre. The other has not been found.
Police located a handgun inside the mall, Derko said, as well as a white SUV investigators believe to be the suspect vehicle. Its occupants, however, remain at large.
“We are incredibly lucky no one lost their life yesterday,” Derko said. “That no innocent people were injured, and that police were able to respond and now gather evidence,” he said.
Derko also took the unusual step of calling out the amount of “misinformation” circulating online about the shootings, including claims multiple victims had died.
The mall was cleared by the police tactical unit around 10 p.m. Some customers at Uniqlo, where a Postmedia photographer was shopping, described the two-hour ordeal as very calm. About 50 customers at that location were ushered by staff through a back emergency exit when the lockdown lifted.
Vanessa Lewis was at Earls restaurant when the lockdown was announced.
“It was very nerve-racking,” she said. “Everyone was moved to the back of the restaurant.”
She said she had just placed her order, then waited with everyone else for two hours. She didn’t get her food.
“It’s OK. I’m happy. We’re safe,” she said as she left the mall.
Throughout the lockdown, automated messages could be heard over the mall’s public address system, though it was unclear to some customers what was being said as they were locked deep inside stores.
The messages later became more cheerful and advised patrons it was safe to leave.
Police warned citizens to avoid the mall, while the Edmonton Transit centre outside was also closed, reopening just before 10 p.m.
WEM, one of North America’s largest shopping centres, has 800 stores and about 30 million visitors a year. According to its website, it conducts lockdown drills four times annually.
‘We need to take this very, very seriously’: Mayor Sohi
In a news conference, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he is “deeply concerned about the acceleration of violence in our city.”
He specifically referenced a separate crime spree from last month, in which two people allegedly drove around the city randomly shooting at motorists and pedestrians.
“I am concerned about that and we need to make sure that Edmontonians have confidence that we are doing everything possible in our capacity, that EPS is doing everything in their capacity, to make our communities safer,” he said.
Sohi also thanked police and first responders for their quick response.
“As a community we need to take this very, very seriously,” Sohi said, adding there are “complicated reasons” for the apparent rise in violence.
The mayor also pointed to resources for anyone affected by the incident, saying they can reach out to the Canadian Mental Health Association at 780-482-HELP (4357).
Derko, meanwhile, said it is still unclear whether the mall shooting could lead to more violence.
“It’s way too early to say that this is an ongoing feud or violence that’s going to continue,” he told reporters. “It’s always concerning when something to this level happens, when it’s targeted, because the fear is the retribution is going to happen. That’s something that we’re working on and hopefully we can make some arrests before that happens.”
— With files from David Bloom, Cindy Tran and The Canadian Press
