Heavily Armed’ Man Arrested After Shots Fired, Molotov Cocktail Thrown in Edmonton City Hall

A man described as ‘heavily armed’ was taken into custody after shots were fired and a Molotov cocktail was thrown from the second floor of Edmonton‘s city hall on Tuesday. According to Chief Dale McFee of the Edmonton Police Service, the suspect entered city hall through the parkade armed with a long gun and several Molotov cocktails. The incident caused a small fire outside an elevator, but no injuries were reported.

The sound of gunshots abruptly halted a public committee meeting, forcing the building into lockdown. McFee praised the actions of an unarmed security guard, who initially detained the suspect, allowing the police to respond promptly.

The suspect’s identity has not been released at this time, but the police believe he acted alone. The tactical and bomb units later confirmed that no further explosives were found in city hall.

During the incident, a Grade 1 class was present at city hall, along with several local officials including Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and councillors Jo-Anne Wright and Aaron Paquette. All were safely evacuated.

In response to the incident, city hall will remain closed to the public until further notice. Mayor Sohi addressed the public, assuring them that support will be provided through the employee and family assistance program. He refrained from commenting further as the investigation is ongoing.