One person is in hospital with serious injuries, two suspects have been arrested, and two more are still at large following an investigation that led Prince Albert RCMP to issue a Dangerous Persons Alert Thursday morning.
The RCMP cancelled the alert at 4:12 p.m. after arresting two suspects in the Thunder Rapids area northeast of Tobin Lake. Police say two other suspects may be on foot in the area.
As of Thursday evening, RCMP officers from six detachments were involved in the search, with help from Melfort Traffic Services, Prince Albert Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team, Prince Albert Police Dog Services, and the Critical Incident Response Team.
The Saskatchewan Highway Patrol Officers, conservations officers, and air support from the Saskatoon Police Service are also assisting.
“The search area is incredibly challenging,” reads an RCMP press release. “The bush is very dense and thick, and there is extremely limited cell service.”
As of Thursday evening, Hwy 123 is blocked north of Tobin Lake due to the ongoing search and police presence. The RCMP have asked the public to avoid the area.
The investigation began at around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday when Prince Albert RCMP received reports of a vehicle robbery and shooting near White Star Road north of Prince Albert.
Investigators say multiple suspects in a black SUV approached a lone man sitting in a vehicle at around 7:30 p.m. The suspects shot the man, and stole his cell phone and vehicle, a 2020 Dodge Ram and abandoned the black SUV.
The suspects were reportedly wearing black bandanas and black balaclavas. Investigators say the suspect and the victim were not known to each other.
A passerby found the man at around 8:30 a.m. and called police. He was transported to hospital and remains there with serious injuries. The RCMP have declined to identify the victim due to privacy concerns.
Investigators say the suspects were armed with a gun and considered dangerous, which led to the Dangerous Persons Alert at 9:56 a.m. At the time, police believed the suspects were travelling near the intersection of Hwy 55 and Hwy 123 east of Nipawin.
In a press release, the RCMP said the alert was issued to a wide area due to the random nature of the incident and because police did not know which direction the suspects were travelling.
At 10 a.m., police spotted a white 2020 Dodge Ram driving north towards Cumberland House on Hwy 123. At 10:17, RCMP sent a second dangerous person alert to update the public.
At around 10:30 a.m., the Dodge Ram collided with a heavy equipment vehicle on Hwy 123 in the Thunder Rapids area. Responding officers say the suspects exit the truck and run into the bush.
There were no injuries as a result of the collision. Officers seized two firearms from the vehicle.
The Saskatchewan RCMP issued a third dangerous person alert at 10:30 a.m. That alert was cancelled at 4:05 p.m. after officers arrested two suspects—one man and one women—in the Tobin Lake area.
As of Thursday evening, the RCMP believe there are two suspects still on foot in the Tobin Lake area.
The Saskatchewan RCMP have asked residents and business owners between Holbein and Nipawin and Nipawin and the Thunder Rapids area to check video surveillance equipment for signs of a black Honda CRV with three to four suspects dressed in all black with bandanas over their faces. The RCMP are interested in footage taken between Oct. 23 and the morning of Oct. 24. Tips should be reported by calling 310-RCMP.
Investigators are especially interested in footage from along Hwy 355/55/
The RCMP have also asked residents of those areas to check on their neighbours to ensure everyone’s safety.
