deadmonton 2006 - john albert buckniak
John Albert Buckniak, 21, was stabbed to death September 9th, 2006.
Case status is open and active.
September 9th, 2006 marked the deadliest day on Edmonton streets in the city's criminal history. Never had the city recorded three murders in less than 24 hours.
At 12:30 a.m. police were first called to the city's west end to investigate the stabbing death of 28-year-old Cody Bull.
Just over two hours after Bull's murder and all the way across, town police found themselves dealing the stabbing death of another young man.
At 3:16 a.m. a heated altercation behind a low-income townhouse complex near 40th Street and Hermitage Road resulted in a 21-year man facing the working end of a knife.
"No resuscitative effort was attempted," said an Emergency Medical Services supervisor. "It was clear he'd been killed by very violent means."
Two groups, one composed of three men -- the other three men and two women, had gathered in a field near the Homesteader Park playground when someone from the larger group began chasing the three members of the smaller group.
A blade was pulled and one of the three died on the grass belly-up just metres outside the back door of the Fanjan family.
According to the Edmonton Sun, members of the family heard at least two men swearing at each other and saw two men running from the scene.
"And someone was yelling, 'Michael! Michael!'"
A worker at a nearby Mac's said a man ran into the store shortly after the slaying and asked "Can I use the phone? My friend is dying."
Initial reports suggested neither group knew each other. Police said the victim was known to them and that the gang unit wasn't involved in their investigation.
630 CHED Radio reported September 11th police were looking for more than one suspect.
A subsequent police statement said they were looking for several suspects between the ages of 18 and 20, and 5-feet 8-inches to 5-feet 10-inches in height.
Late on September 12th police identifed John Albert Buckniak as the 21-year-old man who died from a single stab wound to the chest.
Buckniak, known as "Bucky," was described as a "happy-go-lucky" young man who had been working construction to save money to go back to school.
The Edmonton Sun quoted friends of Buckniak who said a confrontation started between two groups at the nearby Smok'n Joe's Roadhouse.
Buckniak was chased down and knifed to death, they said.
A family member said Buckniak was trying to save the life of a friend when he was stabbed.
Before the day was over, Lily Duong aka Lily Tran died in a drive-by shooting that took place at Argyll Road and 76th Avenue at about 11:30 p.m.
The three September 9th deaths were the city's 19th, 20th and 21st homicides of the year.
Speaking to the media later in the day, Chief Mike Boyd said he was concerned with the sudden level of violence.
"We need to all be concerned in our community. But you know Edmonton is a safe city ... I think we've gone four or five weeks now without a single homicide," he said.
"(But) one homicide is one homicide too many as far as I'm concerned. We need help to solve these crimes -- we need to help the victims find justice."
Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel said the day's flurry of killings was a statistical aberration.
"Hopefully, this isn't any kind of a new trend and police will move ahead and solve these and get on with ensuring that our people feel safe," Mandel said.
"The chief hasn't given me any reason in our discussions to think there's any more violence on the horizon."
Residents in the Hermitage area said fights and late-night parties are a common event in the field beside Homesteader Park, with two bars within a short walking distance.
On August 3rd, 2006 a 21-year-old man was stabbed several times in the arms and legs while sitting in a car near 50th Street and Hermitage Road. The man was treated in hospital for minor wounds.
On July 15th, 2006 two men suffered slash wounds after they were attacked near Smok'n Joe's Roadhouse at 615 Hermitage Road.