Utility company FortisAlberta confirms one of its employees was shot during an incident east of Calgary Tuesday that sparked a shelter-in-place order and an ongoing manhunt.
In a statement to CityNews, the company says that while performing routine work near Range Road 282 and Township Road 250, just north of Chestermere, Tuesday, a Fortis employee was shot and injured.
The employee was treated for the injury and released from the hospital Tuesday evening.
“The safety of our employees and the public is always our top priority and this situation has been deeply concerning for us at FortisAlberta,” a company representative said. “We are grateful that our employee is recovering and we are providing any support he, his family and his colleagues need at this time.”
FortisAlberta also gave condolences to the friends and family of the person who was fatally shot at the scene.
“We understand that another individual on scene succumbed to fatal injuries and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim,” it said.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Mark Wielgosz said Tuesday officers responded to the area east of Calgary around 12 p.m. for reports of a shooting. Two people were found with gunshot wounds.
“The two people that were struck were separate persons at that intersection,” Wielgosz said. “I don’t have any specific information about their activities at that location.”
Police believe two suspects left 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 said officers found the suspect vehicle and worked 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. Tuesday.
As of Wednesday morning, RCMP had still not located the suspects and were unable to provide a physical description of them.
Investigators said as soon as that information was available, it would be made public.
Wielgosz said police have no evidence to suggest the double shooting was targeted, but stopped short of calling it random.
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. on Tuesday to contact them.