Calgary police say an armed suspect has been arrested after barricading himself in a home in northeast Calgary following an early morning shooting Thursday.
Officers were first called to a home in the 600 block of Pineland Road N.E. at 5:50 a.m. for reports of property damage to the house.
Investigators confirmed early Thursday afternoon that multiple shots were fired, and several blocks around the home were taped off, with police asking people to stay away from the area and those in their homes to shelter in place.
Originally, officers believed the suspect had left the area and were searching for him, however, an hour later police shared an update saying he’d barricaded himself inside a house on Pineland Road.
Thursday evening, police clarified the man had barred himself in the basement earlier in the day, and was threatening to shoot other people — and at 11:30 a.m., shots were fired out of the home.
Officers were finally able to force the man outside around 11 p.m. and take him into custody. The male suspect was transported to hospital with minor injuries after his arrest, police said.
“Residents in the area no longer need to shelter in place and those who have been unable to access their homes can now return,” police said in a statement.
“We are grateful to the community for their support and patience during this incident. Our primary goal was to protect life and we are happy that this incident was resolved safely.”
Armoured tactical vehicles from both the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP were seen in the area during the hours-long incident.
Calgary Transit and the Calgary Fire Department were also on the scene to help police keep people who couldn’t return to their homes safe and comfortable as the situation carried on.
Investigators said earlier that they didn’t know the motive behind the man’s actions. Police said the investigation is ongoing following the arrest.
Speaking to Global News Radio 770 CHQR on Friday morning, a woman named Brandy who lives in the area said it was an emotional day for those stuck in their homes as the situation unfolded.
Brandy, who lives across the street with her family and dogs, said they woke up to a heavy police presence, including members of the tactical unit.
“It was quite intense and it was very scary,” she said.
“We want to let our dogs out and tactical units are telling us to put our dogs back in the house and go to the basement.”
“To be honest, it’s still quite emotional,” Brandy said, tearing up. She added they were very worried for the safety of their community members, and the man who’d barricaded himself in the home.
She said at about 11:20 a.m. she heard the first shots.
“There’s nothing like it,” she said. “It’s literally in your backyard and like sheer panic goes through everything. And… you’re like, I want to make sure everyone in your family is OK.”
“And, yeah, it’s just crazy, intense and terrifying.”
Brandy said police in the area were communicating via a loud speaker for most of the day, so she had a general idea of what was going on outside her home.
She said at about 10:45 p.m. she heard a lot of commotion outside, including dogs barking, shouting and what sounded like more shots fired.
“It sounded like there was a resolution, but in the neighbourhood, it was really hard to tell what kind of resolution it was,” she said.
Brandy said things really quieted down around 11:15 p.m., and officers could be seen leaving, then eventually they received a call about an hour later where officials said the situation had been resolved.
Comments