Police lay charges in three murders committed in 2016
Shootings in Edmonton, Calgary were result of organized crime: spokesman
Police have charged 26-year-old Calgarian Jimmy Truong with three counts of firstdegree murder after shootings in Calgary and Edmonton left three people dead.
Truong was picked up by Calgary police Thursday night and police say the killings were organized crime gang hits.
“When we are speaking to organized crime, this was not orchestrated by one person — it is a number of individuals,” said acting Staff Sgt. Kurt Jacobs with the homicide unit. “It was well thought out and it was done in concert with others for a criminal purpose.”
The killing spree began about 8 p.m. on Sept. 20, 2016, when Cuc Lung, 34, and Quang Tran, 38, returned to their residence on Redstone Manor N.E., where they were gunned down sitting in their vehicle. Lung ’s five-year-old son was in the back seat, but uninjured.
Tran died at the scene and Lung was taken to hospital, where she died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Then at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2016, emergency crews responded to reports of a shooting in the area of 171 Avenue and 126 Street in the Edmonton community of Rapperswill.
They found Phu Phan, 30, dead in the driveway of his residence as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Police would not confirm if Truong was the trigger man in these homicides, nor his role in the gangs.
Police wouldn’t say if these hits were related to the FOB-FK gang war that plagued Calgary ’s streets.
“I don’t want to put a particular label on the crime group,” said Jacobs, who added police are aware of the groups that were involved in the hits.
In September 2017, police asked the public’s assistance to identify Truong as well as two other men who may have had information about these homicides. The two men have since been identified and are of interest to police, but authorities wouldn’t say if they have spoken to the men.
Jacobs said this case is an example of police services across the province working together.
“These types of investigations are very complex and we are very thankful for the assistance with the Edmonton Police Service, the RCMP both here and other agencies, including RCMP in B.C.,” said Jacobs.
“As we know, organized crime groups don’t do their activity and business in one city. They go across border, they have a lot of influence in other places. It’s another great example of how important is it for Calgary police and other services to collaborate and work together in partnership in order to investigate these individuals and bring forth evidence.”