Our condolences to Sukhjit Randhawa's family.
Downtown patrol officers were called to 112 Avenue and 82 Street just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, for a report of an injured man.
They found Sukhjit Randhawa, 48, seriously hurt. He was treated at the scene and taken to hospital, where he died.
An autopsy was completed the same day and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide. Police are withholding the cause for investigative reasons.
Nicholas Butler-Chowace, 22, has been charged with second-degree murder. The charge has not been tested in court. Investigators say they are not looking for any additional suspects.
Who he was
Randhawa owned and operated Connect Liquor at 11266 82 Street N.W., and went by Sunny.
Varinder Bhullar, an Edmonton entrepreneur who knew him through business circles, described him as genuine and gentle, someone who would go out of his way to help anyone.
"It's very sad to hear when someone is not safe at their own business that they've set up with their hard work, and someone comes in and takes their life away," Bhullar told Postmedia.
Bhullar says Randhawa tried to stop a man from stealing liquor and locked the main doors, and was attacked. Police have not confirmed that account and have released no description of what happened inside the store.
The block
Lexy Miran works reception at Touch of Thai Massage Therapy, a few doors down. She's been there three years.
"We're all shocked. It was just a normal day, and then for this to happen just a few doors down from our store," she said. She described people walking in and stealing clients' shoes on several occasions.
"I don't feel safe. Now myself and other employees don't feel safe to even take out the garbage, because it's near the liquor store."
Sara Froutan works in the pharmacy at Galaxy Medical Clinic. Staff there didn't hear anything on Wednesday, she said, and only realized something had happened when the ambulances and cruisers arrived.
"This area can be a dangerous place. We just try to stay calm and diffuse the situation. If it gets serious and they try to threaten us, we call police."
The owner of the Little Caesars next door, who asked not to be named, bought that business from Randhawa a few years ago and said he was always a pleasure to deal with.
"All of my staff are so scared, and I don't know what to say. We put our heart and soul into our business. This happened right inside his business."
They currently stay open until midnight and are now thinking about closing earlier.
"I know this happened in the afternoon, but this is scary for all of us. We're heartbroken. Now I think I'm going to have to change the store hours. I don't want to put my employees' lives at risk for anything."
Every business owner and employee Postmedia spoke to raised the same thing: more emphasis on mental health, and more resources.
"We have to take some kind of action," the Little Caesars owner said. "We need some kind of plan, so that something like this doesn't happen in the future."
Cromdale
The neighbourhood runs along 82 Street north of the river valley, east of Norwood, a mix of older houses, walk-up apartments and a commercial strip.
It's also the kind of area where a liquor store, a pizza place, a massage clinic and a medical clinic sit in a row and their staff know each other by sight, which is why the reaction along that block has been what it is. The Little Caesars owner bought his business from Randhawa. The receptionist a few doors down knew him well enough to describe what he was like.
That proximity explains the response. This wasn't a stranger's death reported in the news. It was the man from four doors over.
What happens next
Butler-Chowace's case moves through the courts. The Edmonton Police Service homicide section has carried the investigation since Randhawa's death.
A funeral service has been arranged.
Anyone with information can contact Edmonton police at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Sources:
Edmonton Police Service news releases, August 5 and 6, 2026
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, autopsy findings, August 2026
Postmedia interviews with Cromdale-area business owners and employees, August 7, 2026
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