Calgary man identified as victim of weekend shooting outside Market Mall
Calgary police say the brazen shooting death of a man outside a busy northwest shopping centre this weekend is believed to be targeted.
The victim, identified on Monday as 23-year-old Danny Truong of Calgary, was shot outside the south entrance to Market Mall just before 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Paramedics rushed himto hospital in life-threatening condition where he was pronounced dead.
Police say the death, which is the city's 12th homicide of 2023, is "not connected" to another incident of gun violence over the weekend in the parking lot at Deerfoot City that injured two people.
“It is extremely concerning that such a brazen and unnecessary act of violence occurred in the middle of the afternoon in a public space, endangering Calgarians who were going about their day,” said acting Staff Sgt. Lee Treit in a news release.
Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal says his wife and kids were at the mall when the violence unfolded.
"I’m a father first and councillor later, and I’m worried about each and every Calgarian. We don’t want it. This is disheartening and it is, for the lack of a better term, disgusting, and this needs to stop," he said.
Dhaliwal says as policymakers, they must work closer with law enforcement to prevent incidents like this.
Doug King, a justice studies professor at Mount Royal University, says the time of day and place of the shooting suggest a strong motive.
"More in the sense of less planning, more spontaneity, more anger, more sense of 'I'm getting back at this person for something they have done to me,'" he said.
The two recent shootings in shopping centre parking lots have some Calgarians on edge.
"It's shocking, honestly. I would feel unsafe now coming to this mall, knowing people are capable of doing this, and we don’t have enough security," Makaila Keon said.
Simon Haverson added, "I still feel relatively safe. I go with the whole theory that lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same spot."
Supt. Cory Dayley with the Calgary Police Service's criminal operations and intelligence division says addressing gun violence continues to be a top priority.
He says there have been 65 shootings so far this year compared to the mid-90s this time last year.
"That’s the good news out of a bad news weekend, a tragic weekend," Dayley said.
"We're still putting full force and full effort into suppression and interdiction of gun violence and our prevention programs, and continuing to bolster relationships within the community because that's where the intelligence lies."
Anyone with dash-cam footage from the Market Mall area at approximately 2:19 p.m. on Aug. 12 is asked to contact police by calling 403-266-1234.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Police are also asking anyone who may have dash-cam video in the area of the Side Street Pub and Grill on Kensington Crescent N.W. between 2 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9 and 12 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 to contact them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi still missing after helicopter accident in mountains
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday.
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who matched with a 15-year-old girl on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Ex-partner charged with first-degree murder after 55-year-old woman killed in Montreal
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Toxic drugs circulating in northeastern Ont., police say
Canada’s largest First Nations police service, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service issued a community safety alert as extremely toxic drugs are likely circulating in many of the communities it serves.