Date: Monday, 02 January 2017
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/gary-yemane-edmonton-homicide-1.3913719?cmp=rss 'They took him from me': 7 months after fatal shooting, family still looks for answers Gary Yemane, 63, was killed on May 27 while walking near his north Edmonton home By Travis McEwan, CBC News Posted: Dec 28, 2016 6:00 AM MT Last Updated: Dec 28, 2016 11:38 AM MT 'It's a nightmare, what happened to my husband' 1:35 One of the city's veteran detectives says of 41 homicides in Edmonton so far this year, the shooting death of a man who was walking in his neighbourhood is one of the cases that troubles him the most. Gary Yemane, 63, was killed on May 27 while walking near his north Edmonton home. The investigation continues and no one has been arrested. "They're all sad, don't get me wrong," Staff Sgt. Bill Clark told CBC News earlier in December. "But when you have that random attack on a totally innocent man just out for an evening walk, I mean, that hits the city hard. It hits all of us hard." Yemane's family has struggled with his death during the holiday season. His wife, Abeba Ghebregzabhir said she had just returned home with him that night in May, when he decided to go for a walk down Ozerna road between 69th Street and 165th Avenue. Minutes later, he was shot dead. "I miss everything. I don't have anything, because they took him from me," Ghebregzabhir said while holding back tears. "When you have that random attack on a totally innocent man just out for an evening walk, that hits the city hard. It hits all of us hard," Staff Sgt. Bill Clark said of Yemane's death. (Supplied) Yemane left his wife and three children in their 20s. They said he was a social person, known for hosting friends and family. The thought of hosting a holiday party without him is unfathomable. "I can't bear with it and didn't have the energy to do it without him," Ghebregzabhir said. Instead of putting up Christmas lights, they said a prayer and lit candles beside a picture of Yemane, a tribute to a man remembered as selfless humanitarian. "He was very caring, very understanding, helpful, optimistic and uplifting," Ghebregzabhir said. Remembered as a humanitarian Yemane worked as a registered nurse at the Misericordia Hospital for the past decade, often completing six shifts a week, and still finding ways to help the city's Eritrean community with his medical expertise. Passionate about leukemia awareness, he once held a stem cell drive and encouraged African and Caribbean Edmontonians to donate stem cells. 'I'm waiting to find out who the killer is.'- Abeba Ghebregzabhir, Gary Yemane's wife In the mid '90s, he filled his basement with donated medical books, and eventually sent them to his home country of Eritrea after it was granted independence. His commitment to his community has his family constantly wondering why he was killed. They're still not sure if he was targeted or if the shooting was completely random. "We have no complaints about the police, because they are doing what they're supposed to do. We still have a connection," Ghebregzabhir said. "Whenever we call they call us back." Yemane's family is just hoping that anyone with any information about Yemane's death shares it with police. "I'm waiting to find out who the killer is," Ghebregzabhir said. "He's not going to bring us Gary. He's already been taken from us, but it will bring peace of mind for me, his family, his kids and for our friends." @Travismcewancbc Travis.mcewan@cbc.ca Related Stories Edmonton shooting victim remembered as selfless member of Eritrean community http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/north-edmonton-shooting-victim-worked-to-stop-youth-violence-1.3608545 Police seek possible witnesses in shooting death http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/police-seek-possible-witnesses-in-shooting-death-1.3620559
