2 dead, 1 seriously injured in shooting at south Edmonton construction site

Two men are dead and another is seriously injured after a daytime shooting at a south Edmonton work site.

In a news release sent Monday night, police said officers responded to a shooting that occurred in a residential area around noon in the Cavanagh neighbourhood, in the area of Cavanagh Blvd S.W. and Cherniak Way S.W.

EMS responded and determined two of the men, a 49-year-old and a 57-year-old were dead, and a 51-year-old male was seriously injured.

The 51-year-old is currently in hospital with serious life-threatening injuries, police said.

Autopsies have been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Homicide investigators are leading the investigation. Police said they are not looking for any suspects.

Known for helping others

A close friend identified construction company owner Buta Singh Gill as one of the two deceased.

Former city councillor Mohinder Banga said at the scene that Gill had strong ties to the Punjabi community in the city and was known for helping others.

"This guy helped everybody by going out of his own way and suffering his own losses," Banga said. "Why would somebody hurt him?"

Banga said he knew Gill well. 

"He was such a religious and helpful person, he helped anybody he could," Banga said.

Neighbour heard loud bangs

Abby Sieben was on her way home from a walk in the neighbourhood around noon when she heard a series of loud bangs.

She said she was walking down Cavanagh Boulevard with her two small children when the sound rang out from a construction site near her house.

Sieben said she heard at least four shots.

"I didn't know if it was a nail gun or if it was a gun because there's a construction site right there," Sieben said in an interview with CBC News.

"It wasn't obvious to me until I saw the guys, the construction workers, start to run away from the site." 

Sieben said as the workers fled, some got into their vehicles and began driving away.

One pulled over to speak with her. Sieben said the man told her to turn around and run away from the apartment complex that was under construction.

Sieben said she turned away from home and began pushing her children, ages 1 and 3, in their stroller as fast as she could.

'Go the other way'

"One of them rolled down their windows and told me that there was a shooter and that I should turn around and go the other way," she said. 

"So I started to run and he kind of slowed down and drove his truck slowly behind me until I was around the corner," she said.

"I was just running with my stroller and he just kind of yelled out the window like 'I got you, Just like keep going.' And I just ran down Cavanagh Boulevard and turned the corner."

Sieben said the worker stayed with her until the sound of sirens could be heard. She said she eventually took the long way home, avoiding the construction site where a cluster of police vehicles had arrived on scene. 

She said she later spoke to police who knocked on her door. She also said she had a chance to speak with the workers who helped her get to safety.

Sieben said she moved to the area a year ago and feels unsettled about the violence that unfolded steps from her home.

Several police vehicles remained at the scene Monday afternoon, surrounding a multi-unit building under construction. By mid-afternoon, a large crowd of people had begun to gather at the scene.

About 50 people stood along the side of the road as police gathered evidence.

"I mean, obviously you can see all the people here, they're all well-wishers and they just, the community is in shock right now," Banga said.