Manhunt for ‘dangerous’ suspects continues after double shooting leaves 1 dead

RCMP say one person is dead after a double shooting east of Calgary on Tuesday afternoon that sent police on a manhunt and had rural residents sheltering in their homes.

In an update on Tuesday evening, RCMP Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz says officers responded to reports of a shooting near Range Road 282 and Township Road 250, just north of Chestermere, around 12 p.m.

Police say emergency crews found two victims with gunshot wounds — one was pronounced dead at the scene and the other has non life-threatening injuries.

“The two people that were struck were separate persons at that intersection,” says Wielgosz. “I don’t have any specific information about their activities at that location.”

Investigators soon learned two suspects fled the scene in a stolen Rocky View County fleet vehicle, described as a white half-ton pickup truck.

RCMP were able to track the truck to an area east of where the shooting occurred near Township Road 252 and Range Road 260, north of Strathmore, with the help of air services, police service dogs and Calgary police tactical units.

An Alberta emergency alert was sent just after 1:30 p.m. warning residents of two “armed and extremely dangerous suspects” and asking people in the area to shelter-in-place.

Wielgosz says officers found the suspect vehicle and were working to find the suspects in the rural area north of Strathmore. Officers eventually determined the pair had left the area and the shelter-in-place was lifted just after 4:30 p.m.

“I don’t have any more information as far as descriptors of the two suspects, or any vehicles they might have fled in,” says Wielgosz. “As soon as that information is available it will be immediately provided to the public.”

“Our focus is on public safety, and our members our diligently patrolling the area,” he said when asked if there was still a risk to the public.

Wielgosz says police have no evidence to suggest the double shooting was targeted, but stopped short of calling it random, saying investigators are still trying to determine a motive.

RCMP are asking anyone who may have dashcam or security footage in the area of the shooting between 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to contact them.

“Do not approach the suspects if encountered,” says RCMP. “They are considered armed and dangerous.”

Listen to 660 NewsRadio for the latest on this developing story.