At approximately 3:30 a.m. today (Friday, Dec. 18 2015), an emergency alarm was sounded from the Macs store at 32 Avenue and 82 Street. When officers arrived, they found the injured clerk and began CPR while EMS was enroute.
Paramedics treated Karanpal Singh Bhangu, 35, and rushed him to hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Approximately 15 minutes after the alarm, a 911 call was received from a Macs store at 108 Street and 61 Avenue. A citizen called 911 after finding the store clerk injured and bleeding on the floor. The 41-year-old man, whose name will not be released until family are notified, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Information about the suspects in the robberies was immediately fanned out to all patrol officers on the street to be on the lookout. Officers were also directed to check on other Macs stores if possible.
Southwest Division patrol officers, who were in the Callingwood area, spotted a suspicious vehicle and noticed occupants matched the suspect descriptions. The officers approached the vehicle, which then initiated a criminal flight. The suspect vehicle collided into a barrier on the Whitemud freeway heading eastbound, under the Terwillegar overpass, and the suspects were arrested without incident. The vehicle was seized for forensic examination.
Charges are pending against the three suspects who are all known to police.
A 24-year-old male, a 26-year-old male and a 13-year-old male remain in police custody.