The city has cancelled its council meetings from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 in the wake of the events of Jan. 23, when a person allegedly walked into city hall with a long gun, fired several rounds, and lit several incendiary devices.
No one was hurt. Police arrested a suspect on the scene. Bezhani Sarvar, 28, faces six criminal charges.
"Public decision-making meetings are valuable because the efforts of Administration, the governance of City Council and the feedback of Edmontonians come together to build our community," Andre Corbould, city manager, said in a release on Jan. 26. "We recognize that the recent event was distressing and frightening for those present in City Hall, and we will ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for people to return safely."
City hall remains closed, the release said. There is no timeline for when the building will re-open to the public.
Corbould told CTV the shooting and fires have traumatized city employees who work at city hall. "We are going to take some time to focus on the work that needs to be done, and really focus on staff and the psychological safety that's required to make them feel better," he said.