Bullets bring end to Halloween party

Police investigate a warehouse area where at least three people were shot at 155 Street and 131 Avenue in Edmonton Oct. 31, 2010.(PERRY MAH/QMI AGENCY)Police investigate a warehouse area where at least three people were shot at 155 Street and 131 Avenue in
EDMONTON - Another spate of gunplay, which wounded three men at a Halloween party, has city police worried an innocent bystander could get hurt.
"There was a large number of people milling about," said west division Staff Sgt. Blaine Edl, who estimates there were between 65 to 100 people at the private party.
The gathering happened in a warehouse and business area near 156 Street and 131 Avenue.
"Our concern is if we have a person who is firing a number of rounds in a public setting like this that somebody innocent is going to get hurt," said Edl
According to police, a disturbance broke out around 5:20 a.m. on Sunday between two groups of men at the party.
The groups went outside into the parking lot to settle the dispute when someone pulled a gun and fired several shots.
Police found two men at the scene suffering from serious gunshot wounds, along with evidence that a third man had been shot.
Later in the morning, a third man arrived at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, suffering from gunshot wounds.
All three men are recovering in hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Edl said all of the men are in their 20s.
One man was shot in the lower abdominal area, another in the leg and the other man in the arm.
It's unclear what the relationship is between the two groups, who aren't being cooperative with police.
Edl hopes security video footage will provide assistance with tracking the gunman.
Kurt Sadowski has a warehouse next door to where the Halloween party was being held. When he arrived at the location Sunday morning to drop off his boat, he was greeted by police cars and yellow police tape surrounding the crime scene.
Sadowski said there was nobody in the area when he left the warehouse around 7 p.m. the previous night.
He said the new occupants next door had moved in about a month ago and said they were using the space after hours as a recording studio.
"I'm not surprised. It's an after-hours club," said Sadowski, who had a bullet hole in the door of his warehouse.
"I'm just glad they didn't hit my window."
Two other business owners at the scene expressed anger about the shooting, but declined to comment.
Edl said the space was being rented from the owners of the building, who were surprised to learn about the party.
Police have also received reports that the space was being used as an after-hours club and are investigating whether liquor was being served without a licence.
"All the business owners in this area have a right to be concerned with this type of activity," said Edl, who's seen after-hours clubs pop up in industrial areas.
"It's usually a way to get around liquor regulations in an industrial area and you don't get many noise complaints.
"We look at after-hours clubs pretty stringently here in Edmonton. At least now we know it’s there.”
Police are asking for anyone with information about to come forward.