CALGARY – RCMP say a suspicious incident that closed down one of southern Alberta’s busiest highways is a case of a triple murder-suicide.
Officers received reports of gunshots fired around 3:30 AM MT along Highway 2 just north of Claresholm near Township Road 130.
They discovered two men and a woman dead as well as two others suffering from critical injuries. Two vehicles were also found in the northbound lanes of the highway. Four of the victims were found inside one vehicle.
RCMP say it appears a man shot four people before killing himself. Two of the victims, a man and a woman, died at the scene. Another man was transported to Foothills Hospital in Calgary by STARS air ambulance. He later died.
A second woman was taken to hospital by ambulance. She has been treated for her injuries and is expected to recover.
Autopsies will be performed on all four victims, who were in their early 20s.
The names of the victims won't be released until their families have been notified. RCMP are not saying how the victims were related.
However, The Charlottetown Guardian is quoting unnamed sources that say two of the young men were from Prince Edward Island: Mitch MacLean, 20, of Cornwall, and Tanner Craswell, also in his early 20s, of Charlottetown.
The newspaper also identified the person in hospital as Shayna Conway of Charlottetown.
"It was pretty horrific," said RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb.
"Our investigators on the scene are trying to make heads or tails out of not only what is there, but also why this came about."
Brent Chimko, who lives in the Claresholm area, said people in the community were abuzz about the violence.
"It is pretty shocking," Chimko told Global News. "I have never seen anything like this. I have seen traffic accidents on the highway that have been bad, but nothing quite like this."
Police have towed away a green Pontiac Sunfire an an SUV with the side and back windows blown out.
RCMP say they're not looking for any suspects, and no charges will be laid in this case.
The highway was reopened Thursday afternoon.
Officers received reports of gunshots fired around 3:30 AM MT along Highway 2 just north of Claresholm near Township Road 130.
They discovered two men and a woman dead as well as two others suffering from critical injuries. Two vehicles were also found in the northbound lanes of the highway. Four of the victims were found inside one vehicle.
RCMP say it appears a man shot four people before killing himself. Two of the victims, a man and a woman, died at the scene. Another man was transported to Foothills Hospital in Calgary by STARS air ambulance. He later died.
A second woman was taken to hospital by ambulance. She has been treated for her injuries and is expected to recover.
Autopsies will be performed on all four victims, who were in their early 20s.
The names of the victims won't be released until their families have been notified. RCMP are not saying how the victims were related.
However, The Charlottetown Guardian is quoting unnamed sources that say two of the young men were from Prince Edward Island: Mitch MacLean, 20, of Cornwall, and Tanner Craswell, also in his early 20s, of Charlottetown.
The newspaper also identified the person in hospital as Shayna Conway of Charlottetown.
"It was pretty horrific," said RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb.
"Our investigators on the scene are trying to make heads or tails out of not only what is there, but also why this came about."
Brent Chimko, who lives in the Claresholm area, said people in the community were abuzz about the violence.
"It is pretty shocking," Chimko told Global News. "I have never seen anything like this. I have seen traffic accidents on the highway that have been bad, but nothing quite like this."
Police have towed away a green Pontiac Sunfire an an SUV with the side and back windows blown out.
RCMP say they're not looking for any suspects, and no charges will be laid in this case.
The highway was reopened Thursday afternoon.
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