A gang member and his 11-year-old son were shot and killed outside an Edmonton fast-food restaurant on Thursday, according to police. Acting Supt. Colin Derksen stated that the boy was intentionally targeted and killed, while another boy of the same age, a friend of the deceased child, was unharmed. The two boys had briefly gone inside the A&W restaurant before the shooting took place.
Derksen described the lunch-hour shooting, which occurred in a busy suburban shopping plaza, as another example of the escalating gang violence in the city. He expressed concern over the lack of regard for innocent citizens, children, and families among gang members.
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The father, identified as 41-year-old Harpreet Uppal, was well-known to the police and was involved in the gang drug world. Derksen revealed that efforts had been made in the past to help Uppal leave the criminal lifestyle and protect his family. Uppal had previously survived a shooting at a pizza restaurant two years ago, but charges against the alleged shooter were recently dropped.
The motive behind the shooting is still under investigation, although Derksen confirmed that Uppal was intentionally targeted. The involvement of the young boy in the shooting is yet to be determined, but it is clear that once the shooters learned of his presence, they deliberately killed him.
Derksen highlighted the increasing incidence of gang violence in public places in Edmonton, with 196 shootings reported so far this year, a 46% increase compared to the same period last year. He emphasized the danger these incidents pose to the general public and expressed gratitude that there were no additional casualties in this particular incident.
No arrests have been made yet, and police are conducting interviews with witnesses and working closely with Uppal’s family for information. Derksen urged the public not to panic but emphasized the need for vigilance in the face of rising gang violence in the city.
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The shooting has left a community in shock, with a teddy bear and a few flowers serving as a somber reminder of the tragic event at the scene. Police are also investigating a possible link between the shooting and a burned-out stolen SUV found nearby.
