Tenants living in a central Edmonton apartment building where a security guard was gunned down last week describe the area as problematic and worry about what could come next.
Tammi Comeau moved to Edmonton from New Brunswick in August and said she didn’t expect her new home in the Central McDougall neighbourhood to be so troublesome.
“You gotta keep to yourself. It’s hectic all the time,” she said. “You never know what’s going to happen next.”
“I’m always looking behind me.”
Comeau was at the apartment building on 107th Avenue at 106th Street when Harshandeep Singh was fatally shot last Friday.
Singh had just started working as a security guard while also studying business administration at NorQuest College, and planned to become a police officer.
A spokesperson for his family said he’d only been on the job for three days when he was killed.
Comeau said there have been several violent incidents in the short time she’s lived at the apartment building. One of them happened three weeks ago.
On Nov. 21, Edmonton police said officers responded and found a man with a gunshot wound. He went to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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Chantel Tremblay moved into the building in September. She said she keeps to herself but worries about her nieces and nephews.
“There’s only a lock holding us from whatever is on the outside of that door. We never know what’s on the outside of that door so that frightens me a bit.”
Alberta Health Services documents show the building at 10603 107 Ave. is under nine public health orders.
An order from April 2023 detailed a lengthy list of problems in 32 units, including water damage causing mould, smoke alarms not working, exposed wiring, missing locks and doors, fire hazards from dryer lint buildup, problems with pests like cockroaches and mice and overall disrepair.
On Friday, about a dozen Edmonton police and fire investigators were at the scene of last week’s apartment complex shooting, telling tenants about potential relocation options.
Comeau wants to find a new home — fast — but for now, said she’s keeping a low profile.
“I just try to keep to myself just come and go.”
According to a real estate listing, the 36-unit apartment building with ground-floor retail has been for sale since June, with an asking price of $7.9 million.
Edmonton police have requested a business license review of the property.
When reached over the phone, landlord and building owner Van Vuong said, “No comment, you have to ask the City of Edmonton, I don’t know what happened,” and hung up.
The City of Edmonton said on Friday there is an active investigation with the Residential Inspection Safety Compliance team (RISC) under the umbrella of the Problem Property Initiative.
The team is a multi-agency body between the city, AHS, EPS, Alberta Sheriffs and OHS that works together to solve issues arising from complex residential living situations.
The city said the team works to achieve compliance with minimum housing standards at high-risk properties and each agency uses its own regulatory tools and enforcement approaches.
The RISC team has issued five violation tickets to the apartment building since licence conditions were imposed on May 17.
As the property is now part of an ongoing criminal investigation, the city said it couldn’t provide any further information other than to say the RISC team is working simultaneously with EPS to ensure minimum housing standards are met while police investigate any criminal matters.
Evan Chase Francis Rain, who turns 31 next month, and Judith May Saulteaux, also 30, have both been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a prohibited firearm in the shooting death.
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