An early morning home invasion Tuesday in northeast Edmonton has left one person dead and the homeowners severely beaten, police say.

Detectives believe the house where the fatal shooting and the beatings took place was wrongfully targeted.

Police responded to a call on McConachie Boulevard around 2:30 a.m. for reports of a break and enter and an aggravated assault.

Intruders demanded drugs and money from a husband and wife. They tied up the couple, blindfolded them, and beat them.

"Shortly after the break and enter, I believe it was the couple that reported the call to police. They also reported that they heard shots fired in the home," said EPS spokeswoman Patrycia Thenu.

"When police officers arrived they discovered a male that was shot...he was taken to hospital and he passed away later that morning."

Officers said they found the man with the gunshot wound in the basement of the home.

"It looked like he was suffering from a gunshot wound and he passed away later in hospital," she said.

The husband who was beaten remains in hospital.

The house next door is known to police and is being investigated, police said.

Neighbours in the area, a new community located on the northeastern edge of the city, said what happened has left them feeling nervous. Several mentioned the possibility of installing better security systems, or moving out of the neighbourhood altogether, as a result of the incident.

Homicide detectives continue to investigate and have released descriptions of two suspects related to the shooting:

Suspect #1: A black male, approximately five-foot-10 to six feet tall, early to mid 20s, clean shaven, slim build, wearing a dark hoodie and darker jeans, and dark gloves. He was also wearing dark, round, thick-rimmed eyeglasses.

Suspect #2: A male with a short beard, approximately five-foot-10 or five-foot-11, late 20s, with a stocky or heavier build, wearing a dark hoodie and sweat pants.

Both suspects are described as speaking with an accent or in broken English.