The Edmonton Police Service homicide unit continues to investigate a shooting that has left a 31-year-old man in critical condition.
It happened near 130 Street and 129 Avenue around 9:50 p.m. Saturday.
Police said Peter Penac, who was known to them, was shot while sitting in his vehicle.
When officers arrived on scene, they found a man slumped over in a white vehicle suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
John Fitzgerald had just returned to his house on 130 Street when he heard gunfire.
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“I shut the trunk and all of a sudden, I just heard something popping off,” he said.
“I swear there was seven [gunshots]. They were all like, bang- bang bang bang bang bang bang. They were all right after the other.”
The noise stunned Fitzgerald.
“I dropped my bags and I bee-lined it to the bush in front of the house. I got freaked out because it was right close to me right? I didn’t know what was really going on. I didn’t know if it was shooting at me,” he said.
“I heard the wheels peel out – that’s when I was pretty much lunging for the bush.”
He then ran into his house and laid low – he has had trouble sleeping since.
“I was awake, sleep, awake, sleep, awake, sleep – you would too if something like that happened.”
Fitzgerald said he had never seen the white vehicle or the suspect vehicle before; he is now considering moving for his own safety.
The shooting victim was transported to hospital where he remains in life-threatening condition.
One neighbour, who does not want to be identified for safety reasons and lives beside the crime scene, said he was the first one there after the shooting.
He said a vehicle, which he has never seen before in the neighbourhood, took-off at high speed. He then said the victim, who he has also never seen before, was slumped over the steering wheel with bullet wounds to his head and neck.
A large portion of the street was blocked off for several hours while officers laid down evidence markers and combed the area.
Police were also seen gathering evidence from a late-model Lexus hatchback, which was inside the area that was taped off.
Neil Werbicki has lived in the neighbourhood for five years. He was inside his house playing a computer game when he heard what he initially thought were fireworks.
“I heard five gunshots – pop, pop, pop,” he said.
“I ran outside as soon as I heard the gunshots and [saw a] car sped off.”
Werbicki said the Athlone neighbourhood is normally quiet but he’s concerned for his safety now.
“It was like 50 feet from my yard. I’m a little worried now that I live really close to where it happened,” he said.
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Police do not have any suspects at this time. There is no description of the suspect vehicle.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone or Crime Stoppers.
with files from Julia Wong
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