Police chief Rod Knecht briefs the media on Friday, Dec. 18 on two violent armed robberies in south Edmonton that occurred nearly 10 minutes apart and left two men dead. Video by Bruce Edwards and John Lucas
The impact from the senseless murders of two men working at convenience stores in Edmonton early on Friday morning continues to ripple through the community, as efforts grow to help the families of the two victims.
Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht has called the murders "extreme acts of violence" that were "absolutely unnecessary, gratuitous, evil."
The victims have been identified as Karanpal Singh Bhangu, 35, who moved to Edmonton with his son this summer, and Ricky Massin Cenabre, 41, who had come to Canada from the Philippines to work, and recently filed paperwork to bring his wife and son to the country as well.
From a Go Fund Me donation page for Ricky Cenabre, one of two men killed while they worked at Edmonton convenience stores on Friday morning.
"(Ricky was) a simple guy. Humble. No fuss. He just wants to have a good life in Canada," said friend Richard Vale.
David Eifert, who works with Bhangu's wife at Progressive Academy, said bringing her family to Canada was "the sole goal of her life." Bhangu was working at Mac's while waiting for certification to work in security.
"This was kind of a dream for the family, to be together again in Canada," Eifert said.
Fundraising efforts have swelled in the day since the homicides, with donation pages set up for the families of both Cenabre and Bhangu.
Accused in the case are Colton Steinhauer, 27, Laylin Delorme, 24, and a 13-year-old boy, cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Each is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and a raft of gun and robbery-related charges.
The string of violence began early on Friday morning, when Bhangu was shot in the stomach while working at a Mac's store at 32nd Avenue and 82nd Street in Millwoods. Police were called to the store with a panic alarm at about 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning. After three phone calls to the store went unanswered, an officer drove to the store and found Bhangu seriously injured. Bhangu died in hospital a short time later.
A deliveryman walking into another Mac's store at 109th Street and 61st Avenue found a trail of blood on the floor leading to a storage room. He called police, who found Cenabre in a backroom, dead of a gunshot wound. Knecht said it appeared the attackers had dragged Cenabre into the backroom.
An alert then went out to all police based on security footage from the first store, describing the three suspects and the stolen Honda Element they were driving. Officers also began checking other Mac's stores in the city, and the suspects were spotted outside a Mac's in Callingwood at about 5 a.m.
The group fled police and a chase ensued, which ended when the driver of the Element lost control on Whitemud Drive, hit a guardrail and crashed into a barrier under the Terwillegar overpass. Three people inside the vehicle were arrested without further incident.
Knecht said the motive for the murders was robbery, and that three men are suspects in other city robberies as well.
He said the victims did not fight back against their attackers.
Gallery: Shootings at convenience stores
Homicide detectives are investigating two violent armed robberies in south Edmonton that occurred nearly 10 minutes apart, leaving two men dead early Friday morning.
Karanpal Singh Bhangu, 35, is shown with his son Royce and his wife Kiran.
Colton Steinhauer, 27, is among three people charged with first-degree murder in the killing of two Mac’s store clerks in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
Laylin Delorme, 24, is among three people charged with first-degree murder in the killing of two Mac’s store clerks in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
Flowers have been dropped off at the Mac’s store as a memorial to the murdered clerk at the location on 109th Street and 61st Avenue in Edmonton on December 20, 2015.
Homicide detectives investigate at a Mac’s convenience store in Edmonton on Dec. 18. Two men were killed early Friday when they were shot during two convenience store holdups.
Police investigate the scene of a murder at a Mac’s Store at 108 Street at 61 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
Police investigate the scene of a murder at a Mac’s Store at 108 Street at 61 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
Police investigate the scene of a murder at a Mac’s Store at 108 Street at 61 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
Police investigate the scene of a murder at a Mac’s Store at 108 Street at 61 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
A lone police officer mans the scene of a second murder in a Mac’s store at 82 Street and 32 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
A lone police officer mans the scene of a second murder in a Mac’s store at 82 Street and 32 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
The coroner’s van leaves the scene as police investigate the scene of a murder at a Mac’s Store at 108 Street and 61 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
The coroner’s van leaves the scene as police investigate the scene of a murder at a Mac’s Store at 108 Street and 61 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
A lone police officer mans the scene of a second murder in a Mac’s store at 82 Street at 32 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
Police investigate the scene of a murder at a Mac’s Store at 108 Street at 61 Avenue in the early morning hours in Edmonton on Friday Dec. 18, 2015.
From a Go Fund Me page. We lost one of our “kababayan” last Friday from a brutal and senseless robbery/killing in Edmonton. Ricky Cenabre was one of the victims from 2 Mac’s Convenient Stores armed robberies and killings last Friday Dec. 18, 2015. Humble and very Family oriented person who just wanted a good life in Canada. Any amount from your kind hearts will be accepted here and proceeds will be given directly to his Family back home. www.gofundme.com/mzfmhkxg Family Photo
Flowers have been dropped off at the Mac’s store as a memorial to the murdered clerk at the location on 109th Street and 61st Avenue in Edmonton on December 20, 2015.
Flowers have been dropped off at the Mac’s store as a memorial to the murdered clerk at the location on 109th Street and 61st Avenue in Edmonton on December 20, 2015.
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