A German tourist visiting Alberta was the victim of a shooting Aug. 2. The victim, whose name is not being released, was shot as he was driving west on Highway 1A near Morley at approximately 12 p.m., according to Alberta RCMP Media Relations Cpl. Laurel Scott. RCMP is not releasing details about the incident as the investigation is ongoing.
“There’s certainly lots of work going on, on the file,” she said. “I know everyone would be interested to hear…that we’ve laid charges, but there’s no update like that. We continue to actively investigate and there are several agencies involved.”
Cochrane RCMP is being assisted by the RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) from Calgary, the RCMP Forensic Identification Section, a RCMP collision analyst and RCMP Police Dog Services.
Scott said investigators do not believe this to be a random incident or involve road rage; however, the victims were not the intended targets and she said this might be a case of mistaken identity.
The 60-year-old victim sustained a serious injury to his head and was transferred to a Calgary hospital by STARS Air Ambulance. He underwent surgery and was in stable condition as of Aug. 7, according to Scott.
The vehicle the man was driving, a Dodge Durango, left the road due to this incident. The three other occupants of the vehicle received minor injuries, Scott said, and were treated on scene.
RCMP seized a vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a residence in Cochrane, Aug. 3, according to Scott, thanks to tips received from the public. A resident of the home was initially detained by RCMP but was later released and has not been charged, she added.
The driver of a recreational vehicle who witnessed this incident called 911 and departed the scene, believing it to be a collision. The driver has since contacted Cochrane RCMP, Scott said, and has been interviewed.
Alberta Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda issued a statement Aug. 4 regarding the incident.
“Like everyone, I am saddened by this senseless crime. On behalf of the Government of Alberta I would like to extend our support and thoughts to the victim and his family,” he said. “As we await more details of the police investigation, we will continue to support the victim and his family in any way possible.”
