The man who shot and killed three people and injured another by the side of the highway near Claresholm had two loaded guns as backup in his vehicle and no criminal history with police.
In a detailed account of the horrific shooting released this morning by RCMP, police say Derek Jensen, 21, is indeed the man responsible for three murders before turning his 9 mm handgun on himself.
Police say Jensen had recently broken up with his girlfriend Tabitha Stepple, 21, and was out looking for her in the early morning hours on Thursday.
He found her at the Claresholm 7-11 but there was no confrontation at the store. She had accompanied her friend Shayna Conway, 21, on a ride to the Calgary airport with baseball players Mitchell MaClean, 20 and Tanner Craswell, 22.
Police say Jensen followed the vehicle on Hwy 2 until they were 1.5 kms north of Claresholm when he collided with their vehicle.
Conway, the driver, stopped and exited and police don’t know if she knew who had just hit them.
Police say that’s when the shooting began and Conway was shot numerous times.
Jensen then walked up to the vehicle where everyone else was still inside.
“Derek Jensen fired numerous rounds into the car murdering Tanner Craswell and Tabitha Stepple where they sat. Mitchell MaClean was shot but managed to exit the vehicle and was later located by police in the east ditch of the highway, a short distance from the vehicle.”
He was taken to hospital but could not be saved.
Once all were shot, he turned the handgun on himself and ended his life.
When police searched Jensen’s vehicle, they also found a loaded 12 gauge shotgun and a loaded Winchester rifle that were registered.
Conway, the only survivor, is expected to make a full recovery, say police.
“Derek Jensen and Tabitha Stepple did reside together and had been involved in a domestic relationship. They had separated recently,” said police.
“There was no domestic relationship violence reported to either the RCMP or Lethbridge Regional Police Service regarding their separation or domestic relationship. Neither Derek Jensen nor Tabitha Stepple were known to police.”
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