HOBBEMA- RCMP continue to investigate the death of a 16-year-old male in Hobbema.
RCMP, along with EMS and RCMP police dog service were called to a firearms complaint in the Samson townsite around 4:15a.m. Saturday.
“Police respond and came across a 16-year-old youth who had been shot, injured in a shooting incident,” explained RCMP Constable Perry Cardinal.
Cardinal says the young man died of his injuries.
It came as a shock to one neighbour, who has asked to remain anonymous.
“We didn’t even know this happened. We were sleeping and then happened to look out the window at 4:30 that morning and that’s when I saw the cops and the ambulance and knew something was going on,” explained a Hobbema resident.
Police have not released the victim’s name. His death is being treated as a homicide, and officers say this may not have been a random act. Police are investigating to determine whether or not it was a gang related incident.
“These young people have to wake up and stop playing this dangerous game,” Cardinal said Sunday. “I don’t know if they understand the value of life until someone’s life is taken so young.”
Cardinal says the community has seen a decline in major crime in the past year however, says gang activity is still of concern to police.
“We still have some young people involved in gang activity. It’s not as it used to be say five or six years ago, but there’s still some people involved in activity. You can tell, the tagging has started up again.”
Members from the RCMP Major Crimes Unit, Wetaskiwin and Hobbema General Investigation Section, Hobbema Detachment, and Forensic Identification Section continue to investigate the youth’s death.
Anyone with information is being asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.
“If you know anything, if you hear anything, even call that in. If it means nothing then we’ll ascertain it means nothing,” Cardinal said. “Any information is valuable.”
Cardinal believes this is the first homicide in Hobbema in over a year.
Approximately 14,000 people live in Hobbema, which is located about 100 kilometres south of Edmonton.
With files from Shannon Greer, Global News.
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