EDMONTON – Edmonton Police provided an update on the arrest and investigation into Travis Baumgartner Sunday morning.
The 21-year-old was wanted on warrants for three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and four counts of robbery with a weapon in connection with the armed robbery that took place in the University of Alberta’s HUB Mall, and left three of his G4S security coworkers dead, and one critically injured early Friday morning.
“This day in age, he could have been anywhere, that’s why it was literally, an international investigation,” explained Superintendent Bob Hassel, of EPS’s Criminal Investigations Division.
Edmonton Police homicide detectives travelled to Langley, B.C. Saturday evening, to continue their investigation, including interviews and examination with triple-homicide suspect Travis Baumgartner.
“We have a team of eight – five investigators, three forensic investigators – that flew into Langley BC last night. They’re sifting through evidence, including the suspect’s vehicle; they’re doing that as we speak,” said Hassel.
“He was arrested in Canada, on the Canada side, by RCMP on those warrants,” added Hassel. “He was transported to the Langley detachment where he is currently being held in custody, which will allow us the opportunity to have him transferred back to Edmonton. We anticipate that will happen sometime within the next week.”
Baumgartner was arrested Saturday, June 16, 2012, at 4:08 p.m. Edmonton time, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, while attempting to cross into the United States at Lynden, Washington State.
“The accused was still driving his 2011 Ford F150 truck – that we had notified you on continually over the last couple of days. He had his mother’s license plate on that truck, which was still on there, he tried to get into the border by producing his Alberta drivers license, which was his license,” said Hassel. “He had a quantity of money on him, around $330,000. We don’t have the exact total yet, but that’s our best estimation at this time.”
“They had him in custody just after 4 p.m. and we were notified by 5 p.m.”
“Mr. Baumgartner was arrested peacefully and without incident, the best outcome we could have possibly hoped for.”
Within four hours of the crime occurring, EPS had contacted US border control, and RCMP to let them know Baumgartner was a person of interest in the fatal shooting.
Hassel said it’s important to note “the accused was arrested and in custody in just under 48 hours, from the time we notified border officials and policing agencies across North America early Friday morning until late Saturday afternoon.
“We’re grateful to the RCMP, the border officials at Lynden, Washington and all of our policing partners who helped bring this dangerous suspect into custody in such an expeditious manner.”
Hassel added, “EPS’s thoughts and prayers go out to the victims’ families of this terrible tragedy, and to the family of the lone survivor, Matthew Schuman, who remains in critical condition in hospital.”
He went on to say, “We have been in contact with all of the families involved, including Sandy Baumgartner, Travis’s mother, and all are relieved the suspect is now in custody.”
Hassel took a few questions from media following the prepared statement. Police said there would be another news conference Monday at 11 a.m., and – at that time – they would be likely be able to answer some of the more in-depth questions.
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