Breadcrumb Trail Links
Published Dec 02, 2023 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 1 minute read
A skater hits the rink at the Ice Palace at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, in this file photo from Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Photo by Ian Kucerak /Postmedia
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West Edmonton Mall was briefly locked down Saturday afternoon after a man was reportedly seen with a gun.
Edmonton police issued a statement saying that officers responded to the weapons complaint around 2:30 p.m.
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“The mall was placed on lockdown as the parties involved in the weapons complaint were located and taken into custody,” the statement read. “There were no shots fired and nobody was injured. Charges are pending against a male in relation to the incident.”
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Social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) about the lockdown started appearing just before 3:30 p.m., with shoppers and retailers reporting that they were evacuating or taking cover in stores. One video posted online showed at least three police officers on the second floor of the mall with weapons drawn.
The first official announcement from WEM was posted on X at 3:41 p.m., warning people to “remain in the closest secure location until the lockdown has been lifted.”
That same account sent another post at 4:05 p.m. indicating that the lockdown had ended.
“The emergency situation has now been resolved,” it said.
West Edmonton Mall is currently under lockdown. Please remain in the closest secure location until the lockdown has been lifted. Please stay tuned for additional updates.
— West Edmonton Mall (@Official_WEM) December 2, 2023
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This is the second lockdown due to a gun scare at the mall in recent months. On Aug. 21, a group of suspects opened fire in a parking lot on the west side of the mall, wounding three people.
Investigators believe that shooting was targeted. Police said four men were returning to parking lot after spending about 40 minutes inside the mall when a group in a waiting white SUV drove by and opened fire.
Two of the victims collapsed to the pavement, while two others fled into the mall. Police later located a handgun inside the mall.
In that case, which has not yet been solved, the lockdown at WEM lasted for at least two hours.
Three people suffered serious injuries in a shooting at West Edmonton Mall on Aug. 21, 2023. Mall patrons were locked down for nearly two hours in stores and moved to back rooms while Edmonton police Tactical Unit cleared the facility. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia
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