Calgary shooting: 1 dead, 6 others injured at New Year's party
One of the seven victims wounded in a shooting at a Calgary New Year's Eve party has died, making this the city's first homicide of 2015, Calgary police confirmed Thursday night.
The six remaining victims are in stable condition, with injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Det. Steve Adair said city police received multiple 911 calls from the 1900 block of 36th Street S.W. at about 5:05 a.m. MT Thursday.
Responding officers located five people in and around the house with possible gunshot wounds and Adair said two other people later showed up at local hospitals for treatment.
Those injured in the shootings are both male and female, ranging in age from early 20s to early 30s.
First homicide of 2015
CBC has confirmed the victim was 26-year-old Abdullahi Ahmed.
Calgary Imam Abdi Hersy spoke to Ahmed's family, who was with him at the Foothills Medical Centre when he died.
“They were there until the last moment and when he was pronounced dead and life support was taken off, that is when they left the hospital,” Hersy said.
According to Hersy, Ahmed was originally from Toronto and had been in Calgary for six years. His mother was on her way from Toronto to Calgary on Thursday night.
Hersy urges anyone in the Somali community with information to come forward and speak to police.
“If we remain silent, then nothing will be done," he said. "Everybody has to be working side-by-side, hand-in-hand together with the authority, with the police and everybody to bring the criminals to pay their criminal act and to face justice.”
Search for suspects
Adair says police don't yet have a description or know the number of assailants.
About 50 people were at or near the residence, and as many as 15 witnesses were taken to headquarters in a city transit bus to be interviewed. Police say witnesses have identified themselves and others at the party as members of African communities.
Adair said police "are not getting a great deal of co-operation" from witnesses.
At least two blocks were cordoned off, with numerous police cruisers in the area.
CBC reporter Devin Heroux said Killarney is a quiet community just off 17th Avenue, a major Calgary thoroughfare.
Duty Insp. Quinn Jacques says at the moment, police have more questions than answers.
Calgary police believe many more witnesses have yet to come forward and are asking members of the communities with information to contact police, their diversity resources member at 403-428-8161 or Crime Stoppers.
Correction : An earlier version of this story erred when it said a seriously injured person had died. At that time, there were actually no deaths from the shooting. The story was revised when that person's death in hospital was confirmed.(Jan 01, 2015 3:53 PM)
