The family of the man shot at an Edmonton Pizza Hut said he has suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost his left eye as a result of the random attack.
Rich Albert, 55, was shot on March 12 at roughly 12:25 a.m., allegedly by the same 16-year-old male who shot and killed two young Edmonton police constables four days later.
Leslie Albert, the victim’s sister, said that her brother was shot in the head “in a random act of violence.” The suspect then ran from the scene, she said.
“Rich was rushed to the hospital in critical but stable condition,” said his sister. She started a GoFundMe on March 26 to raise money for medical costs, equipment, medication, and rehabilitation for her brother. The fundraiser had registered just over $25,000 by press time, with a recent donation from the Edmonton Police Association of $250.
All funds raised, said the sister, are being directed to his wife, Norma Albert.
Leslie Albert said her brother was in the neuroscience intensive care unit for “several days with a breathing tube while they worked on him.” The bullet went through his brain, causing the loss of his left eye.
“The days, months, and possibly years ahead will be trying and difficult for Rich, his wife, and his family as he begins the long process of healing and rehabilitation,” his sister said. “It will be a long road to recovery.”
Teenage Suspect in Murders of Constables
According to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), a single male suspect armed with a gun entered the Pizza Hut in the Westmount area, near 133 Street and 114 Avenue, and shot a male employee.
The bullet casing recovered from the shooting at Pizza Hut was matched to the firearm recovered from the apartment where Edmonton Constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan were killed by a teenager while on duty March 16, police said in a March 23 news release.
Ryan, 30, and Jordan, 35, were killed by a teenager armed with a gun as they responded to a routine call for a domestic disturbance. The officers were shot as they arrived at the apartment and did not have a chance to discharge their firearms before they were fatally shot, according to police.
Edmonton Police Const. Travis Jordan (L), and Const. Brett Ryan are seen in a composite image made from two undated handout photos. (Edmonton Police Service)
The teenager fired multiple shots at his mother during a struggle for the gun, leaving her in serious condition in hospital, and then turned the gun on himself, dying from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The youth’s mother is still in hospital, in serious but stable condition. Police indicated the mother is unable to speak and can only communicate by writing.
Police said on March 23 that the youth had been apprehended under the Mental Health Act in November and taken for assessment. Investigators are now looking at the teenager’s phone and computer as they continue their investigation.
“Detectives are also working to trace the origins of the firearm and how it came to be in the youth’s possession,” said the EPS news release.
At a news conference on March 23 at police headquarters, EPS Deputy Chief Devin Laforce said, “There are still many outstanding questions about what took place last Thursday.”
Laforce said EPS is not releasing the name of the shooter or his mother at this time, due to other ongoing investigations into the origin of the firearm, and the safety and privacy of the families affected.
“The firearm and how the youth got the firearm is of paramount importance. How did a 16-year-old obtain this gun? Working backwards, whoever he got that gun from probably faces some criminal jeopardy and we’re working backwards to try and figure out what that looks like,” said the deputy chief.
Police indicated they do not think the youth’s parents, police dispatch, or the constables who were killed had any knowledge there was a firearm in the home.
