Hitting close to home :(

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Man thats rough...This kind of thing seems to happen way too often (at least here in Vancouver) but never at a place I have been to or would go. That would hit close to home.

I agree that the police like to make it sound better by saying it was a targeted hit. I know this is not always the case because my moms best friends son was gunned down last year in Vancouver and the police called it a hit and gang related...the kid was a student at Interior design school and certainly not a gangster! He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time with his friends. His poor mom was devastated of course but to hear her son being called a gang member on top of that was ridiculous. Sorry off topic but I just agree with the above.

[Delphinus]

There's definitely a backstory of some kind here, whether it's gangs or drugs they don't really know though. This is a family run restaurant. I eat there at least once a week for lunch, sometimes twice. To have masked gunmen burst into a restaurant and start shooting doesn't really sound like a random to me. If it truly is random then there's something far scarier going on.

[Lydia]

I'm sorry to hear this, too

The increase in violence is freaking me out, and I'm terrified of being caught in the cross fire. I live in Airdrie, but work downtown, and 2 of my kids go to school in Calgary. One day while picking my son up after school (he's bused to my Mom's in Connaught), there was a home invasion right across the street. We didn't realize it till we went out to my truck and saw all the police cars pulling up, and cops running outside with their guns drawn. We got out of there really fast, let me tell you! And I keep thinking of that poor Brazilian kid who was blinded when he was caught in the cross fire

I'm glad you and your kids weren't having lunch in there yesterday...

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

There's definitely a backstory of some kind here, whether it's gangs or drugs they don't really know though. This is a family run restaurant. I eat there at least once a week for lunch, sometimes twice. To have masked gunmen burst into a restaurant and start shooting doesn't really sound like a random to me. If it truly is random then there's something far scarier going on.

Oh yeah no, I didn't mean this one was random, I just meant I agree that the police do sometimes seem to like to say some public murders were targeted hits to calm people down. Certainly this is not a random act of violence.

[Rbacchiega]

Close to home indeed. When I lived in the SE that was THE place to go for vietnamese food. wow. So Calgary's already at 4 murders and this is January 2nd. Good Start

[OCDP]

Man, that is sad Sorry to hear. Reading the crime reports for Calgary is the most depressing thing.. and then you start to see how much crime really hits close to home.

And yeah, 4 murders by Jan. 2... scary stuff.

[Geofrog]

It is pretty scary. I have never been to the restaurant itself, but I do frequent the strip mall as it is close to home. One of my co-workers, who frequents the restaurant, said the husband was out at the time of the shooting. I can't imagine how tramatic it must have been for the woman who runs the place.

[ElGuappo]

Every day more and more savages come to this city. it has gone to absolute shat in the last 5 years. i was born and raised in glendale/killarny/wildwood, and know more than one person that has been shot. i know them, they are not my friends, but people i knew from high school who sold drugs then and moved into bigger and badder drugs since. i have absoulutlyt NO problems with these "insecure, no dic, piece of S, bas##@$ KKILLING each other, but when this crap happens in a public place like this with a plethera of inoccent bystanders it makes me shudder.

Back in my day (barely graduated 10 years ago) if you got into a issue you may have got your ass kicked but you lived to fight another day. at wortst you had to worry about a knife.

WOW i have erased 6 paragraphs after this only to erase, as i dont think many others share my feelings, and dont want to offend anyone.

I will finish with stating that i agree with and support my local MP Mr. Richards as he not only is the uncle of one of my best friends but because he had the "berries" to tell it like it is. i met a man from south america who now resides in the USA that just loves richards brutal truth. I FOR ONE AM TIRED OF THE MEDIA SUGAR COATING EVERYTHING. THIS IS WERE I LAY MY HEAD, I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHATS ACTUALLY GOING ON IN MY CITY.

Maybe we should take a page out of the history books and take the CARS and BIKES away from the police leaving them to WALK A BEAT, AKA GET BACK TO THE PEOPLE. my father was a beat cop back in the day, and says that he knew everyone on his beat and what they were up to. its pretty tough to get a feeling of a neighborhood and its people when in a car with the radio on. your unable to "take in" the feeling/state/energy while "crusing' by.

ENOUGH ranting for now but its an easy subject to carry on with.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Definitely upsetting. I remember I never even used to lock my doors when I was home...but things are different these days. Calgary is still a pretty great place to live, but the murders are alarming.

[my2rotties]

This is why I moved to Bragg Creek. I started looking at houses here when a kid killed another kid at aparty with a pick axe, and after the random stabbing occurred while I was in one of the areas washing my truck in the wee hours. Another time I was at a carwash before midnight and a man did not want to leave the car wash since he felt I would be in danger... I wash my truck late at night so I can clean it out and dry it without holding up the line. It was something I always did, and never thought a thing about it. I was born and raised in Calgary and it is sad to see what happened to such a great place to live in.

Now I live where people are friendly and ask you how your day is going, and actually care. Nobody locks their doors and the only thing I worry about are cougars and bears when I go hiking.

I'm sorry this hit so close to home... it really sucks.