UPDATE: Police said Wednesday, Sept. 23 that the death of a 32-year-old man in Falconridge on Sept. 21 was not criminal.
Calgary police say their resources are stretched after three suspicious deaths in less than 24 hours.
“The three investigations have put pressure on our homicide investigators and officers from other areas of the service are now helping to ensure that there are no delays in gathering and processing the evidence in all the cases,” Calgary police said in a media release Tuesday afternoon.
Falconridge shooting
The first of the three deaths was reported at around 1:30 p.m. Monday in the Falconridge neighbourhood.
Police said officers were called to a home in the 1200 block of Falconridge Drive N.E. for reports of a shooting. A 32-year-old man was found dead inside the home. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, police said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
Highland Park stabbing
The second suspicious death took place just a couple of hours later in the Highland Park neighbourhood. At around 3:30 p.m., police said a member of the public reported a man in medical distress on the steps of a home in the 4800 block of 1 Street N.E.
Police said EMS and members of the Calgary Fire Department provided medical aid to the man, but 35-year-old died at the scene. An autopsy is underway but on Monday, police told Global News the man was stabbed.
The home was searched and two people were taken into custody, and police said Tuesday “their role in the death, if any, is still under investigation.”
Lynnwood stabbing
The third suspicious death happened early Tuesday morning in the Lynnwood neighbourhood.
Police said they were on their way to an unrelated call at around 4:45 a.m. when officers found a man on the road near an apartment complex at 135 Lynnview Rd S.E. Officers said he appeared to have stab wounds.
Police called EMS but said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Tuesday afternoon they did not yet have any suspects.
The victim is believed to be in his mid-20s. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
Investigators said Tuesday afternoon they are looking to speak with the victim’s roommate, whom officers have not been able to locate.
Police said the roommate’s name is Eddy Nakasenh-Bandasak. He is about five-foot-five with a heavy build, black hair and brown eyes.
“It is unusual for there to be three suspicious deaths in less than 24 hours but, while it is still early in all the investigations, there is no indication at this time that the cases are connected,” police said in a media release.
While autopsies are needed to determine whether these deaths are homicides, Calgary police said if all three are in fact declared homicides, there will have been 27 homicides in the city so far this year.
“Suspicious death investigations usually require support from different teams, including our patrol officers, search teams and forensics experts. In complex cases or when there are multiple cases at once, experienced detectives from other areas can also be called on to assist the Homicide Unit so no evidence is lost,” Calgary police said.
Anyone with information about any of the suspicious deaths is asked to call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or the homicide tip line at 403-428-8877. Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.