A targeted shooting in Edmonton on Thursday has resulted in the deaths of a 41-year-old man, identified as Harpreet Uppal, and his 11-year-old son. The Edmonton Police Service has revealed that Uppal was well-known to investigators and had connections to the gang and drug world. The incident took place in a shopping center parking lot off Ellerslie Road at 50th Street while Uppal was accompanied by his son and another boy.
Colin Derksen, acting superintendent of the EPS Criminal Investigations Division, explained that the police usually wait to release the identities of homicide victims, but exceptions are made in cases where public safety is a concern or if it may generate tips. In this case, Uppal’s previous involvement in a shooting at a Royal Pizza restaurant last October prompted the police to publicly identify him.
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During the 2021 incident, surveillance footage captured a suspect firing shots through a restaurant window, causing Uppal’s family to take cover. Although multiple arrest warrants were issued, charges against a 26-year-old man were dropped, and it is unclear whether he is a suspect in the recent shooting.
While it is evident that Uppal was targeted, the motive behind the killing of his 11-year-old son remains unclear. Derksen stated that Uppal was followed and intentionally killed, but it is yet to be determined if the same intention applied to the young boy. The police believe that once the shooter or shooters realized the boy was present, they deliberately killed him.
Another boy, approximately the same age as the victim, was also present in the vehicle during the shooting but was unharmed. The EPS is continuing its investigation into the incident. Derksen expressed his concern over the recent rise in sick and twisted acts of violence associated with organized crime. The police have not released the name of Uppal’s son at this time.
