'I started breaking down:' Friends remember 15-year-old Calgary homicide victim
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the northeast Calgary community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Jorquera was a passenger in the front seat of a Ford Mustang around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday when she was shot and killed.
Police were called to the 200 block of Martin Crossing Crescent N.E. for reports of gunfire coming from a nearby alley.
Jorquera was shot while the vehicle was in an alley of the 300 block of Martindale Drive N.E. According to police, she was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle at the time.
Police say the driver did not sustain any physical injuries.
Calgary police investigate a deadly shooting in the community of Martindale on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
Police say they have received several tips that suggest it was a targeted shooting, but that they are still working to determine if Jorquera was the intended target or a victim of mistaken identity.
The Calgary Board of Education confirmed Wednesday that Jorquera was a student at Crescent Heights High School. They said they're in the process of informing the school community and that supports will be available at the school Monday when classes resume following spring break.
SHATTERED BY THE NEWS
Stephanie Topolnicki lives in Spruce Grove, and said she was good friends with Jorquera.
The pair even lived together for the month of January this year in Calgary.
Topolnicki said she was at a friend’s house when she found out Jorquera had been killed.
“I was just about to go to bed, it was six in the morning and I got a call, (saying) you need to pick up,” said Topolnicki.
“I was like, okay, okay, I'll pick up. (Her sister said) 'Sarah's gone'. I was like, what do you mean? Maybe she just didn't come home but the sound of her sister's voice, and then I started breaking down.”
Topolnicki said she felt shattered by the news of losing someone she considers a little sister.
“I felt like I lost my sister and my best friend. It hurt a lot."
Jorquera and her friend Stephanie Topolnicki (Photo courtesy Stephanie Topolnicki)
Topolnicki said she has dealt with a lot of anxiety since Jorquera’s death.
“A lot of like unknown anger. I just want to know, why,” said Topolnicki.
"She didn't deserve that or anything and everyone knows that. But it's hard to not know what happened to your best friend that's been there for so long.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
developing A bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.