Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Police seek witnesses in weekend murder

Edmonton Police confirm the victim of a murder outside a bar Sunday morning was shot to death and they are asking for witnesses to come forward.

Just after 3 a.m. Sunday police were called to the Diesel Ultra Lounge at 118 Avenue and Wayne Gretzky Drive after a fight had broken out.

When they arrived the victim, 32 year old Yehia Hassan Al-Bekai had already been rushed to hospital by his friends where he later died.

Homicide investigators say they have made progress in the investigation but still need help to bring the shooter to justice.

“We are close to solving this case, however the burden of proof is immense for the laying of charges,” says Staff Sgt. David Spiers of the Homicide Section. “We need individuals to come forward, and with the volume of people who were there, the story does not have to rely on one person.” 

He says there were more than 2 dozen people were outside at the time of shooting.

“We know that there were a number of disturbances in and outside the diesel lounge,” says Spiers, “And we know that there were at least 30 people that were in the vicinity of this incident along 119 Avenue.”

Spiers says they know several people used their phones to record the incident and on one video he saw a witness watch the incident and then casually walk away.

“It’s going to take us as a community to solve this.”

Spiers says he talk to Al-Bekai’s family and they have pleaded for people to come forward and have urged his friends not to take matters into their own hands.

“With great grace and humility and within their tears, they stated that they do not want any other family to go through what they are going through,” Spiers told reporters, “They don’t want further violence.”

If you have Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online

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