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A 19-year-old man is facing three counts of manslaughter and gun trafficking charges in the wake of the March 16 killings of two Edmonton city police constables in a northside apartment by a 16-year-old who fatally shot himself.
Edmonton city police constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan were fatally gunned down in an apartment hallway by the 16-year-old boy while responding to a family dispute. The boy then shot his mother, who survived, while they struggled over the gun before he fatally shot himself.
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Days later, on March 23, police confirmed the two officers were shot with the same gun fired at a 55-year-old Pizza Hut worker in the same neighbourhood four days earlier. Police said whoever helped the teen get access to the firearm would likely face charges. Police also confirmed the teenager accused of killing the two officers was apprehended during a mental health call five months prior to the shooting.
On Wednesday, city police announced charges in the case, saying the Firearms Investigations Unit (FIU) completed its investigation into the origins of the firearm used in the Mar. 16 officer deaths.
Early in the investigation, detectives determined a bullet cartridge casing recovered from the scene of the Mar. 12 Pizza Hut shooting near 133 Street and 114 Avenue was forensically matched to the firearm that was recovered at the 132 Street and 114 Avenue apartment where both officers were gunned down. Investigators have confirmed the 16-year-old was the shooter in both cases.
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The 19-year-old is accused of trafficking the gun used in both killings, and in the shootings of the Pizza Hut worker and the gunman’s mother, to the 16-year-old.
Police on Wednesday said that last Thursday, Nov. 23, officers conducted search warrants on the 19-year-old’s home, vehicles and cell phone.
The teen was arrested without incident and police seized a stolen loaded handgun, ammunition, illegal drugs, $10,000 in cash and other items indicative of drug trafficking.
“In my 20 years in this career, this is the most complex and tragic file I have worked on,” Staff Sergeant Eric Stewart with the city police Guns and Gangs Section said in a statement.
“It’s heartbreaking that the trafficking of a firearm has led to multiple deaths and life-altering injuries.
“The trauma suffered by the impacted families as a result of this one simple transaction is unthinkable.”
Dennis Okeymow is charged with three counts of manslaughter; three counts of criminal negligence causing death; two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm; firearms trafficking; unauthorized possession of a firearm; possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition; and other drug trafficking related charges.
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