EDMONTON – A man was airlifted to an Edmonton hospital after a shooting at a college campus in northwestern Alberta Sunday night.
Just before 7 p.m., RCMP were called to the Fairview Campus of the Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC), where there were reports of gunshots.
Witnesses told police that three men in a four-door vehicle, described as a greyish-green car, fired a gun, injuring an 18-year-old man.
The victim was taken to the Fairview Hospital in stable but life-threatening condition and later flown to Edmonton for further treatment.
Classes were not in session at the time of the shooting.
“When we were first advised of the situation, the first thing that was in our minds of course was the safety of our students and staff,” the college’s president and CEO Don Gnatiuk said. Non-essential staff were immediately sent home and students were secluded to the dorm so they weren’t out in public, Gnatiuk said.
Later in the evening, a vehicle matching the witnesses’ description was spotted by Mounties. Police attempted to stop the car, but the pursuit was later called off due to the risk to the public.
“We’ve upped security presence on the campus for the next week or so to make sure our students feel secure,” Gnatiuk said. “We’ve offered our students an opportunity for counselling for those who are having difficulty with the situation.”
The school is also holding information sessions to answer students’ questions. Gnatiuk said everyone is holding up OK and leaning on one another for support.
“They’re taking care of each other,” he said.
“They’re doing the best they can. They’re looking for best advice. Many of them have been concerned about us on the other side. They’re good people and they’re doing what they can to help each other.”
Gnatiuk said the identity of the suspect has not been confirmed. From what he’s been told, “this situation was not specific to GPRC” but rather “specific to the people involved.”
The college still has not been told details of “either of the players in this scenario,” Gnatiuk said.
There are approximately 245 students (150 in dorms) and 136 staff on campus. While school officials wait for word from RCMP, Gnatiuk said their thoughts go out to the family and friends of the man shot. He said it’s not something anyone expects in a community like Fairview.
“That’s the big shocker. Here we are in Fairview, in a small community in northwest Alberta and suddenly it came home to us.
“It’s a shocking event.”
If you see the suspect vehicle, RCMP say not to approach it as the people inside are armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information is asked to call Fairview RCMP at 780-835-4031, or submit their information anonymously though Crime Stoppers.
Fairview is about 550 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, in Alberta’s Peace region.
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