‘He’s just completely overwhelmed’: family of Orlan Peterson thanks community for their support

Orlan Peterson poses for a photo with one of his grandchildren. Peterson was released from hospital on Thursday after being shot at a construction site north of Prince Albert. -- Photo submitted by Josh Peterson.

The man who was shot at a construction site north of Prince Albert sparking a Dangerous Persons Alert has been released from hospital and is recovering at home.

Orlan Peterson was released from hospital on Thursday, his son Josh said in an interview with the Daily Herald. Despite the injuries, Josh said his father has maintained a positive outlook since the attack.

“He’s one of the most optimistic and outgoing and friendliest people I’ve ever met,” Josh said. “Leaving the hospital, he had to say good-bye to everybody he made friends with. That’s just who he is. He’s so mentally tough. He doesn’t let things get him down…. He’s just always focused on tomorrow always being a good day.”

Orlan was working by himself when he was shot at a construction site near White Star Road at around 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 24. He was left for dead by his assailants after they stole his cell phone and vehicle, but he managed to leave the construction site and flag down help.

The shooting prompted the Prince Albert RCMP to issue a Dangerous Persons Alert. Two suspects were arrested, and a warrant has been issued for a third.

Josh said his father was shot in the shoulder with a shotgun at close range. When the family heard about the injury, they expected Orlan would soon be dead.

“I was just coming up with a plan (for) what’s next—planning a funeral, how would that look, that sort of thing,” said Josh, a longtime Prince Albert police officer. “For the family, we all were just scared. Me personally, I made it to the hospital and I was able to get into the emergency room and I saw the tremendous staff that were working with dad and some of the paramedic staff that I’m familiar with from work. It made me feel better about the situation because I know what tremendous hospital staff and paramedic staff we have.

“Dad was conscious when I first saw him and he was able to acknowledge me and say, ‘hey Josh, I’m so glad I’m here.’ Just to be able to talk to your Dad after you think that (his life) was done, it was a lot of emotions.”

Josh said his father was hesitant to leave the construction site after being shot. The assailants abandoned their old vehicle at the site when they left, but it was too dark for Orlan to see if anyone was inside. He was worried someone was waiting to shoot him again if he tried to escape.

“In addition to dealing with the incredible amount of pain and fear, he was able to keep his head and understand the importance of being a little tactical,” Josh said. “He did say, there was a certain point where he realized if he didn’t make a break for it, for lack of a better term, he was going to die in that trailer, so he did. Thankfully there was no one in the truck and he was able to make that walk and thankfully somebody stopped and was able to call 9-1-1.”

Even though he’s out of the hospital, Orlan still has a long road to recovery. Josh said he doesn’t know if his Dad will ever have full movement in his shoulder again. The bones and joints in Orlan’s shoulder and upper arm are “basically shrapnel”, Josh said, and doctors are working with him on potential rehab options.

Josh said his father has approached recovery with positivity.

“Dad was never discouraged at the possibility of not having that shoulder back,” Josh said. “The first words to come out of his mouth were, ‘well, I have the lower half of the arm and I’m alive and that’s all I can ask for.’”

The community has rallied together to support Orlan since the shooting. The biggest effort was a Go Fund Me campaign that raised more than $121,000 for Orlan in four days. The funds will help pay for travel expenses, fuel, meals, and lodging while Orlan recovers.

Josh said they community support has been unbelievable.

“The amount of text messages and all kind of messages that all of my family members have been getting from all walks of our lives, it’s just been uplifting,” he said. “Dad sees it. He’s one of the most optimistic people I’ve ever met to begin with, but he’s just completely overwhelmed with all of the support that he’s received. The entire family is. I can’t say enough positive things about everyone who’s contributed to our recovery in some way.”

As of Thursday, Prince Albert RCMP have charged two suspects in connection with the shooting. Melissa McCallum, 18, of La Ronge and Angus Heathen, 33, of Prince Albert face multiple charges. They made their first court appearance in Melfort on Monday, Oct. 28 and have a show-cause hearing scheduled for Nov. 18 in Prince Albert.

The RCMP have also issued a warrant for the arrest of Dallas Fulton, 27, of Prince Albert. Fulton is considered armed and dangerous. Police believe he has connections in Prince Albert, Rosthern, and Duck Lake areas, but this has not been confirmed.

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