A man wanted on warrants in connection with a 2023 shooting at West Edmonton Mall that put the shopping centre on lockdown has been arrested in the Northwest Territories.
In a news release issued Wednesday, the Edmonton Police Service confirmed 24-year-old Leron Andrew John has been arrested but did not disclose how officers tracked him down.
John is accused of multiple firearms offences in connection with the shooting that sent three people to hospital with serious injuries.
On the night of Aug. 21, 2023, police were called to West Edmonton Mall after someone reported gunshots in the massive shopping centre’s parkade.
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Police said investigators believe four people who were leaving the mall were approached by a group of suspects in an SUV and then shots were fired.
Three people were shot and police later found a handgun in the shopping centre. Police described the attack as a “brazen outdoor shooting” and later said several vehicles were also hit by bullets. One stray bullet “travelled five blocks and struck a parked vehicle in a residential area near playgrounds and a school.”
An ensuing lockdown at the mall resulted in people sheltering in place for hours while a police tactical unit cleared the shopping centre.
“We are incredibly lucky that nobody lost their lives,” acting chief Darren Derko told reporters at a news conference held the day after the shooting.
Police said investigators believe the shooting was targeted.
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