On Saturday, March 12, 2022, a shooting with multiple firearms took place at Ertale Lounge. Sadly, eight individuals were struck by bullets and one person died as a result.
In June 2022, 31-year-old Russell Lawrence Streeter reported a break and enter to Parkland RCMP, during which several of his registered (restricted) firearms were allegedly stolen.
In May 2023, the EPS Gang Suppression Team (GST) was conducting an unrelated criminal investigation when a defaced firearm that was once registered to Streeterwas recovered from an individual involved in organized crime. Recovery of this firearm furthered investigator’s suspicions that Streeter was operating as a “straw buyer”; a term used to describe someone who uses a legitimate Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) to purchase guns legally, and then sell them illegally.
In October 2023, the EPS Firearm Investigation Unit (FIU) initiated an investigation into firearms trafficking by Streeterand using the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS), which allows EPS to perform ballistic analysis on seized firearms, they received confirmation that the defaced handgun once registered to him had been used in the March 2022 Ertale Lounge shooting and murder.
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, FIU officers, assisted by Parkland County RCMP, conducted a search warrant at Streeter’s residence and recovered additional evidence to support that he was trafficking firearms. A photo of the firearm that was recovered and used in the shooting is included below.
“The result of the shooting that followed this illegal firearm sale has been devastating for so many people and continues to underscore the need to diligently investigate and charge individuals involved in firearms trafficking,” says Acting Inspector Eric Stewart with the Organized Crime Branch.
“Thanks to the hard work of officers on multiple teams, including the Firearms Investigation Unit (FIU), the Firearms Examination Unit (FEU) and the Gang Suppression Team (GST), we were able to successfully hold someone accountable in this case.”
Russell Lawrence Streeter was subsequently arrested and charged with five counts of firearms trafficking and one count of making a false statement to police.