Went to a funeral and a gunfight broke out.
That old chestnut might be funny if it wasn’t true.
Unfortunately, it is true.
Unless you are dead or in Edmonton, you’ll know by now there was a shooting on the afternoon of March 11 at the Muslim cemetery just east of the Big Hill off Highway 1A.
Like something out of a Wild West movie, people gathered to pay their respects to the deceased and the bad guy(s) showed up and started shooting. Why isn’t totally clear. All we know for certain is by the time the dust had settled and the law showed up, the perp(s) and victims had fled the scene.
Fortunately, the four victims weren’t seriously injured but the shooter(s) remains at large.
Law enforcement officials assure us there is no immediate threat to the general public, but how can they be so sure?
This brazen crime took place in broad daylight just a kilometre east of town at a sombre ceremony where respect is supposed to be observed. Shots were fired in this public space and people were hurt.
Whether the victims were “targeted” or not, bullets don’t discriminate. Some have been known to miss their target and, mistakenly nonetheless, hit others.
Kudos to the RCMP, Calgary Police Service and anyone else trying to sort this out. They should be lauded for their efforts. Trying to crack cases like this can be complicated and, at times, thankless work.
While it’s somewhat reassuring to know they’re pursuing this with every resource at their disposal, we’re dealing with a different level of engagement here, one that’s hard for even the best law enforcement agencies to collar. This brash, opportunistic gun violence is cause for serious concern. Even more concerning is the difficulty in solving cases like this because all parties involved aren’t always as forthcoming as they could be to aid the investigation.
If witnesses are so fearful, or even somehow involved that they don’t want to help investigators, why should we feel secure?
Regardless of where the investigation is and assurances there is no immediate threat to the general public, this kind of violent crime is now appearing on our doorstep. As the expanding influence of the big city migrates closer to our town, so, too, does the exigency that comes with it.
Cochrane’s little-town-by-the-Bow appeal, which is very much a selling point driving people to move here for its peace and tranquility, has just been pierced by the kind of gunfire more applicative to major urban centres.
Our little town is growing up but, in the light of this shooting, is it growing up right?
This crime is not about race. It’s not about hate (at least not the kind of hate driven by racial intolerance and discrimination).
It’s about anyone’s willingness to engage in this level of violent criminal activity and anyone’s reluctance to help solve it, regardless of their reasoning.
If it’s going to this level, here now, why should we feel secure and what can we do about it?
We can only hope this event is an isolated incident. But is hope enough?
