WINSLOE, P.E.I. – The first of two men from Prince Edward Island killed in a highway shooting in southern Alberta last week, was laid to rest Thursday morning.
Mitch MacLean, a promising young baseball player from the Island, was laid to rest before a reported 700 mourners at the Winsloe United Church, near Charlottetown.
The church, which normally holds 200, had to accommodate people in an area set up for overflow.
MacLean, 20, was killed one week ago in Claresholm, Alberta along with fellow Islander Tanner Craswell, 22, and Tabitha Steeple, 21, of Lethbridge, Alberta.
A fourth victim and sole-survivor of the shooting, 21-year-old Shayna Conway, also from P.E.I., remains in hospital recovering from her injuries.
Steeple’s ex-boyfriend Derek Jensen followed the group of friends as they travelled along highway, toward the airport in Calgary.
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He rammed Steeple’s SUV before opening fire then turning the gun on himself. MacLean and Craswell were on their way home for the holidays.
Family and friends remembered MacLean as a true competitor and one of the best baseball players from the Island.
MacLean was a player with the Lethbridge Bulls, in the Western Major Baseball League, and was named Rookie of the Year this past season.
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His love of the sport came up numerous time during the memorial.
MacLean’s mother, Dianne MacLean, remembered her son with a poem titled “Last Time at the Plate.” John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” played as pallbearers dressed in baseball uniforms led the coffin out of the church.
In the funeral program, MacLean’s family expressed their gratitude for the support they have received.
“Words cannot adequately express the debt of thanks we owe to so many who have surrounded us with love and supported and comforted us in countless ways this week,” said the statement.
“Your stories, your laughter, your tears, your offers to help … have warmed our hearts and lifted our spirits.”
Attendees at the ceremony say the family has been coping well and has remained strong throughout the tragedy.
Rev. Eric Lynk tried to help people make sense of last week’s violence, but included Jensen’s family in his thought, saying they are a good family.
A funeral for Craswell will be held Friday morning at the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, in Coveshead.
Steeple was laid to rest Wednesday in Lethbridge at a service attended by 850 people.
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