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Man fatally shot in southeast Calgary believed to have been targeted by organized crime

Calgary police have identified the man killed in a daytime shooting Thursday in a quiet southeast neighbourhood, and investigators believe he was targeted by organized crime. 

Investigators are still searching for multiple suspects in the case

Jonathon Sharp · CBC News ·
A police SUV can be seen on the right side of the frame with a suburban street stretching behind with houses on the left in the sun.
The fatal shooting happened Thursday morning in the quiet southeast neighbourhood of Douglasdale. (Dave Gilson/CBC)

Calgary police believe the man killed in daytime shooting Thursday in a quiet southeast neighbourhood was the victim of organized crime. 

In a news release Friday, the Calgary Police Service identified the victim as Ashley Aaron Cuthbert Mawdsley, 40, of Calgary. 

His death marks the 25th homicide in the city this year. Police are still searching for multiple suspects in connection to the killing. 

According to investigators, the shooting happened around 8:30 a.m. in the community of Douglasdale, about 15 kilometres south of the city's downtown. 

A middle-aged man with short brown hair and a clean-shaven face stands before a background that reads: "Calgary Police Service." He is wearing a gray suit, a black shirt, and a black-and-white tie.
Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta, with the Calgary Police Service's homicide unit, speaks to reporters on Friday concerning a fatal shooting in Douglasdale. (CBC )

Police quickly determined the victim was "targeted," meaning it wasn't a random attack.

Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta, with the police service's homicide unit, told reporters on Friday that the shooting had "all the hallmarks of organized crime," adding the suspects showed complete disregard for the safety of people living in the residential neighbourhood. 

"Even though [the shooting] was targeted, it placed the entire community at risk," he said. 

A stolen vehicle believed to be connected to the shooting, a white 2022 Ford Expedition, was found burnt-out in Foothills County near Okotoks in the hours after the killing, Schiavetta said.

Investigators believe the shooting suspects purchased gas before the killing and used the fuel to burn the SUV after.

Schiavetta asked for community members to come forward with information to help find the suspects. 

"If people in our community do not come forward with information when incidents like this occur, the brazen gun violence that happens in our residential areas throughout the city will continue," he said in a statement. 

A still surveillance photo shows a white SUV driving on a snow-packed road. The vehicle is framed by a green rectangle.
Calgary police are seeking dashcam video of a white 2022 Ford Expedition that is believed to have been used in the shooting and later set on fire outside the city. (Calgary Police Service )

Investigators are seeking dashcam footage for a number of specific areas and times on Thursday, including: 

  • Douglasdale Boulevard S.E. and eastbound 130th Avenue (toward Deerfoot Trail) between 8:30 a.m. and 8:40 a.m.
  • Southbound Deerfoot Trail travelling toward Highway 552 between 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. 
  • Southbound on Range Road 291 in Foothills County between 8:45 a.m. and 9 a.m.
  • Eastbound on 296th Avenue E. to the 6400 block of 296th Avenue E. between 8:45 a.m. and 9 a.m. 

Anyone with relevant dashcam footage is asked to call 911 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or by visiting calgarycrimestoppers.org.
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathon Sharp

Jonathon Sharp is a digital journalist with CBC Calgary. He previously worked for CBS News in the United States. You can reach him at jonathon.sharp@cbc.ca.

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