Deadly crime wave ends with 50 charges in B.C. and Alberta

A violent crime wave that began in Edmonton and spanned two province came to an end this month, when police arrested and charged two men with more than 50 crimes, including murders, shootings and home invasions.

Police said the two men charged posed such a grave threat to public safety that an advisory was issued in B.C. last fall.

The first man is charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as a host of other crimes, including assaults, weapons charges and kidnapping.

The investigation started with the shooting death of Alor Deng in Edmonton near Whyte Avenue.

Deng, 27, was shot and killed after he got into a fight with a group of men he ran into on the street on July 20.

Edmonton police partnered with B.C. police agencies and RCMP to arrest the suspect.

They also charged him with first-degree murder in an unrelated death in Richmond, B.C. on October 2.

Evidence uncovered in both killings revealed a history of violence and involvement in unsolved shootings, break-ins and robberies across Alberta and B.C.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound described one home invasion in Surrey that ended with a neighbour getting shot in the face.

The neighbour survived.

A second man has also been charged with 20 crimes, including robbery, assault, extortion and kidnapping.

Police believe both men are connected to gangs, but they don’t know if that is what motivated the crimes.

Pound said police made the arrests with the help of fellow gang members and people involved in organized crime. She praised their courage at a press conference in Edmonton Monday.

“The reality is, those individuals are locked into a lifestyle they don’t necessarily want to be in,” she said.

“It really does take courage from them to leave that lifestyle, or to even bring some information forward to the police."

Edmonton police say they expect evidence in the case will lead to charges against other people over the next few weeks.