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Police identify man killed in 'targeted' shooting in northeast Edmonton

Police have released the name of a man shot to death in a northeast Edmonton parking lot, but continue to urge anyone with information to come forward.

Abdi Latif Hirsi, 27, was killed Sunday evening in what police described as a targeted shooting.

He suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was found dead just after 10:45 p.m. Sunday inside a black BMW in the parking lot of Hollick Kenyon Estates, an apartment building at 16235 51st St., police said.

Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots. A grey or silver Nissan Sentra with "multiple individuals" inside was seen leaving the scene following the shooting, police said.

"We do not believe this was a random attack," Staff Sgt. Bill Clark of the homicide section said in a news release Monday afternoon. "We are looking to speak with anyone who has information about the suspect vehicle and its occupants."

Police earlier said the victim was "well known to police."

The homicide, drug and gang units are involved in the investigation.

By 6:30 a.m. Monday, the black BMW had been removed from the parking lot but remnants of the crime scene remained.

At least two cars in the parking lot showed visible damage. A bullet hole, marked with a police sticker, had pierced the front window of a nearby SUV.

'We heard about 15 shots'

Imad Assi was inside his house across the street Sunday evening when he heard gunshots.

"We heard about 15 shots," Assi told CBC News in an interview from the sidewalk in front of his house. "I was just about to go out and I just started to hear the gunshots and it was strange, you know.

"It just kept going over one minute, about 15 shots. They would stop for 10, 15 seconds and then they would start again."

He called police and within minutes at least 10 cruisers were on scene, he said.

Assi said he doesn't know anything about the man who was killed.

However, he said there has been a string of criminal incidents in the area and he is thinking about moving.

"It's a nice area but lots of stuff has started happening," he said. "I want to move from the area, it's just been really bad."

Similarly, resident Samantha Sherwood said she also feels unsafe and is thinking about moving following recent incidents in the neighbourhood.

"I usually don't walk my dog past 10 o'clock," Sherwood said.

She lives in an apartment building next to the one where the shooting occurred.

"This is a good neighbourhood and I don't understand it," she added. "It's only our street where this is happening ... and I'm done."

An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday.