Police report dramatic rise in shootings but say overall trend is ‘stable’

The Edmonton Police Service headquarters in downtown Edmonton. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

The number of March shootings in Edmonton have more than doubled month-to-month and increased significantly year-over-year, according to statistics provided Monday by the Edmonton Police Service.

Police said in a media release they recorded 20 shootings in March this year after reporting eight in February. They reported 13 shootings in March 2024, meaning the number of shootings increased 54 per cent this year.

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Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart of the guns and gangs section said in a statement while the uptick in shootings is “sharp” and rose “significantly” from 2024 to 2025, “the overall trend year over year remains stable and continues to be a marked decrease from years prior,” also saying while gun crime is unpredictable, their strategy has been effective.

Of March’s 20 shootings, police said 17 were targeted and eight resulted in injuries. There were no deaths as a result, they said, adding that in 17 of the shootings, bystanders could have been hurt.

Police also said they seized 71 firearms in February and 198 so far in 2025, as compared to 181 at this time last year.