January 1, 2009 - 4 murders in Calgary

[Eddie Bronze]

Were they gang bangers?

[JiriHrdina]

Police haven't said if the triple murder is gang or drug related - though they never do at first. The gang unit is involved in the investigation though and it certainly has all the signs with the victims gunned down as they ate. Police also say that it appears they were indeed targetted.

I think when all is said and done it will be a gang related incident.

[KTown]

I wonder if we are ahead of Detroit at the moment, if we can't beat them at hockey we might as well out kill them.

[Eddie Bronze]

I'm shocked.


I think I heard them say on 660 the other day that there were 31 murders in 2008 in Calgary. Is that right? It almost seemed low to me considering how bad things got here last summer. I wonder how many of them were gang related. I know four of them happened in one house in Dalhousie that weren't gang related.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

I'm shocked.


I think I heard them say on 660 the other day that there were 31 murders in 2008 in Calgary. Is that right? It almost seemed low to me considering how bad things got here last summer. I wonder how many of them were gang related. I know four of them happened in one house in Dalhousie that weren't gang related.

The official number for 2008 was 32 - but that includes the guy that was basically "suicide by police" in Bankview. So 31/32 depending on how you tally 'er up. I believe that is the 2nd most in our city's history.

A good deal of them involved gangs - and in particular a war between two gangs that dates back a couple years.

I think the numbers are what they are - and when you have something like the family in Dalhousie it bumps the total up tragically.

So the tally itself to me is secondary to how the murders are being executed - broad daylight, in busy areas of town, or drive bys on very busy streets. Off the top of my head
- Driveby shooting on Deerfoot
- Tonight's just off Macleod Trial
- Dude gunned down in the Beltline district in broad day light.

There are other examples as well. Scary stuff.

[Eddie Bronze]

And the areas they are happening in. There was a shooting in Discovery Ridge last year and one right beside Westside Rec Centre which are some of the more upscale areas around here.

But the daylight thing is scary for sure. It makes you think twice about even going out.

[Prototype]

I'm born and raised, but stories like these make me want to get out of Calgary sooner.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

And the areas they are happening in. There was a shooting in Discovery Ridge last year and one right beside Westside Rec Centre which are some of the more upscale areas around here.

But the daylight thing is scary for sure. It makes you think twice about even going out.

I believe the first thing the goverment should do is implement restrictions on when and where murders can take place, and if things are still out of control they should just outright ban them from public places.

[nik-]

Some people need to visit more major US cities to get a little bit of perspective on Calgary.

[Suave]

Originally Posted by Eddie Bronze

I'm shocked.
I wonder how many of them were gang related.

According to a Canadian Press article this morning around 11 of last years murders were gang related.

Aren't the gang related ones considered "natural selection"?

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by fotze

On pace for 1460

Similar to how Bertuzzi was on pace for 82 goals

[Ozy_Flame]

...And both gangs (FOB and FOB killers, very late '90's-esque names) have vowed that it won't stop until each and every one of them are dead.

I knew a few of these guys years ago. I'm sure the ones that aren't dead are in jail, or have at least been shot at a few times if nothing else.

I think the cops should worry about the drug trafficking, and let these boneheads weed themselves out over time. They seem to be pretty good at it.

[HotHotHeat]

Police should be offering gun accuracy education to all city gang members. I seriously could care less if they keep killing each other. We shouldn't call it murder though. Maybe...Self enforced gang removal.

[Doctordestiny]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

Weren't both Calgary and Edmonton on record setting paces in 2008 for murders.
I guess Calgary jumped out of the gates quick in 2009.

Not Edmonton. I think there were 34 or 35 murders in 2008. It's not a record number. Tough way to start the year.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by nik-

Some people need to visit more major US cities to get a little bit of perspective on Calgary.

Indeed.

Kansas City, MO a city that I would imagine compares to Calgary population wise had 126 in 2008. Here in Wichita, a city much smaller than Calgary we had 38.

That said, our gang related murders have dropped dramtically in receent years.

Also, 7 of our victims this year were children (some even infants) killed by adults charged with their care.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I think the cops should worry about the drug trafficking, and let these boneheads weed themselves out over time. They seem to be pretty good at it.

Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. Even if every member if those 2 gangs is killed, new members and new gangs will join to scene and pick up where they left off.
There's too much money to be made illegally in Calgary, and as the city grows so will the gangs.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Puxlut

Aren't the gang related ones considered "natural selection"?

That isn't the concern. The concern is innocent people getting hit with stray bullets. If they are going to gun each other down in public places in broad day light, that isn't good for anybody.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. Even if every member if those 2 gangs is killed, new members and new gangs will join to scene and pick up where they left off.
There's too much money to be made illegally in Calgary, and as the city grows so will the gangs.

Yeah, I know. They're like locust; you kill one, and two pop up. And they have an ample food source in the Calgary drug trade.

That said, I think it might be advantageous to separate gang-related murders and regular murders when tallying these up. Gang murders are 99% of the time targeted kills and within the crime community. Your probability of getting injured / hurt is a lot higher than normal citizens on the average.

I think there is a misconception of 'safety' in Calgary, in the sense that these gang shootings, although taking place in public places, are usually targeted (and most of the time successfully) at other gang members. It doesn't look to be a problem in Calgary (at least from me as an average Calgarian) where citizens are being targeted.

[KTown]

Originally Posted by nik-

Some people need to visit more major US cities to get a little bit of perspective on Calgary.

Detroit had a reported 344 murders last year down from the 396 a year ago, a wierd trend but a trend in the right direction.