A 24-year-old man has been charged with several offences after police said multiple people fired shots near a north Edmonton spray park earlier this year.
Police said 24 shots were fired in the parking lot of a spray park near Florence Hallock School just after 9 p.m. on April 11. The school is located in the area of 164th Avenue and 87th Street.
Officers believe several people arranged a meeting in the parking lot, then a dispute happened and multiple people fired shots. The people fled the area in their vehicles, according to police.
The shots hit several nearby homes but no injuries were reported. Surveillance video from a nearby home captured audio of the shots being fired.
Police said one vehicle was found burned after the shooting.
Edmonton police searched a home in south Edmonton on Aug. 14, where officers said they found a loaded handgun, evidence from the shooting and approximately 170 grams of cocaine.
“Initial ballistic testing has indicated that the handgun seized from the residence was the one used in the shooting. Investigators are working to identify other suspects involved in the shooting,” the Edmonton Police Service said in a news release Tuesday morning.
The EPS said its firearms investigation unit was created to tackle “this exact type of brazen public violence.”
“FIU continues to investigate this shooting and is asking anyone with information on the other suspects to come forward,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart with the EPS guns and gangs section.
George Ishiekwene, 24, was arrested at the south Edmonton home and charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of restricted weapon in a motor vehicle, possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime.
Edmonton police confirm Ishiekwene has been involved in gun violence before. In November 2022, there was a shootout near a school in northeast Edmonton where several shots were fired around 2:30 p.m. At the time, Ishiekwene faced 10 charges related to guns, drugs and breaches.
Anyone with information on the shooting or any of the other suspects is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.