Victim opens up about gunman’s attack

Three injured in late-night incident

A man shot in the thigh when someone opened fire at a community hall party last Sunday is still trying to piece together what led to the violence.

The man, who Postmedia agreed not to identify because he fears for his safety, said the gunman fired multiple shots inside the Queen Mary Park Community League Hall as people were leaving a party early Sunday, Feb. 4.

The victim said he was fleeing for the exit when he felt a sharp pain in his right thigh.

When he felt his leg, there was blood.

“I realized there was blood coming from my right thigh,” said the man, who later drove himself to hospital for treatment. “Then immediately I realized I had been hit.”

Edmonton city police said as many as three people may have been injured in the shooting. Police initially said a man and a woman had been hurt. They were both treated and released from hospital.

The third victim, who drove himself to hospital, said he and his friends were ID’d and patted down by security when they arrived at the hall after midnight. There was a DJ, and people were dancing.

Around 4 a.m., the lights went on and people started to head for the door.

As he was putting on his coat, the man noticed a “little scuffle” in the middle of the hall.

He was about to zip up his coat when he heard a sound like a balloon popping. People started running for the exits.

When he realized he’d been hit by the stray bullet, the man rushed to his car and drove himself to the University Hospital. He texted two friends to let them know what happened.

He said he never saw a gun.

After being treated and while recovering in hospital, he was interviewed by a couple of Edmonton police officers.

He was then interviewed by an RCMP officer. The victim, who is black, said he felt like a suspect being interrogated.

“He took me through this long interrogative process, trying to understand what really happened, and asking very funny questions,” he said.

“And I’m like, dude, I’m the victim here. I am not the culprit.”

Mounties did not respond to a request for comment. A city police spokeswoman said Monday the shooting remains under investigation.

The victim wants the person or people responsible for the violence to know that “people have been harmed because of your actions.” He is still grappling with why someone would open fire.

“How does this happen in Edmonton of all places, that someone would go to a hall party and pull a gun?”