A man from Parkland County, Alberta, has been fined $1,500 after a handgun he owned was stolen from an insecure storage container and later used in a deadly mass shooting at an Edmonton lounge.
Guilty Plea and Sentence in Court
Russell Lawrence Streeter, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of careless storage of a firearm in Edmonton Court of King’s Bench on Friday, January 9, 2026. Justice Avril Inglis accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence, imposing the $1,500 fine and a one-year prohibition on possessing firearms.
The charge stemmed from an incident where Streeter stored five handguns inside a shipping container, or "sea-can," on his property, secured only by a single padlock. Sometime before March 2022, someone cut the lock and stole all five firearms. Streeter, who had held a restricted firearms licence since 2010, did not report the theft to police until June 6, 2022.
Weapons Linked to Violent Crimes
The consequences of the theft were severe. One of the stolen pistols, a Glock, was used in the mass shooting at Edmonton's Ertale Lounge on March 12, 2022. In that attack, Imbert George was killed and seven other people were injured when four men opened fire inside the establishment.
Police recovered the Glock during a 2023 traffic stop. The serial number had been obliterated, but forensic experts managed to restore it, directly linking the weapon to the lounge shooting. Another of Streeter's stolen handguns was found during a drug investigation in the fall of 2023. The whereabouts of the remaining three firearms are still unknown.
From Initial Charges to Final Plea
Streeter was initially charged in February 2024 with six offences. Police had alleged he was a "straw buyer," using his legitimate licence to purchase guns for resale on the black market. Additional evidence suggesting firearms trafficking was reportedly found during a search of his home.
However, the Crown ultimately agreed to proceed only on the charge of careless storage. Prosecutor Breena Smith noted Streeter's guilty plea saved the justice system the time and expense of a trial. Defence lawyer Darin Slaferek described his client as a heavy-duty mechanic and father of three with no prior criminal record, expressing confidence he would not reoffend.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Inglis directly addressed Streeter, stating, "You contributed to these results with your careless storage." She emphasized that gun ownership in Canada is "a privilege, not a right," and expressed hope the experience had been sobering. Streeter replied, "It was life changing."
