Man killed at Denny's, Erik Nelson

A man was killed in a shooting at a downtown Denny's Monday morning.

Patrons were horrified when a man wearing a bandana over his face walked up to a booth and shot a man multiple times before escaping in a white van.

"He came here with a vengeance and a rage. He came there to kill," a witness said.

Public shootings are unusual, especially at times when there are many civilians around to see it happening, said police.

Following a shooting at the Gingur Sky Nightclub at approximately 1:45 a.m. Monday which left four people injured, police are becoming increasingly concerned about the gun violence in the city, said police.

"This violence has to stop, and I hope and pray it will stop," said Nadia Beckles, whose son was shot dead.

The shooter is described as Caucasian, at 5'10" tall, wearing a black hoodie and white bandana. He is said to also have tattoos on his forearms, said a witness.

The white van had a Saskatchewan license plate and was extremely dirty, a witness said.

Police believe this man is extremely dangerous and the shooting to be gang related.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Image from Google Maps


References:
http://edmonton.cityandpress.com/city-hall/2010/03/29/four-people-injured-following-shooting
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/779375--two-men-killed-in-edmonton-shooting
http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20051120/beckles_mother_051120?hub=EdmontonHome
http://www.edmontoncrimestoppers.ca/





Edmonton is a wonderful city with a vibrant downtown core. Known for its amazing festivals, Churchill Square, located in front of city hall, is often used for organized events such as the recent torch relay which ended at the Square that had local talent perform on stage before the night ended. Another recent attraction was the Earth Hour on Saturday, March 27, 2010 in which all the non-essential lights were turned off for an hour between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. to raise awareness about environmental choices and how to reduce your carbon footprint. The event featured a Japanese drum performance, torch juggling, and marshmallow roasting among many things.

As with all cities however, Edmonton faces a crime problem, which ranked by Macleans.ca is listed at 5th place in Canada. The 118th Ave. strip is notorious for its crime problems, however the Edmonton Police Service put in a lot of work to keep the city safe. As well as the EPS, Edmonton has a chapter of the Guardian Angels, a citizen patrol group, with their headquarters located at 124 St. and 112 Ave. where they often patrol up to and around 118 Ave.

As the capitol city of Alberta, Edmonton continues to work to be the best it can be while providing lots of entertainment for locals and tourists to experience.


Photo by Brendan Tansey

References:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/03/04/the-most-dangerous-cities-in-canada-overall-crime-score%E2%80%94by-rank/