A number of St. Albert residents gathered Monday evening, to participate in a campaign to reach out to the families affected by the shooting of two RCMP officers on Saturday in that city.
Dozens of people gathered Monday to take part in the ‘United in Light’ campaign, organized by a pair of residents to let the families of the two RCMP officers injured, one of them gravely, over the weekend know the community cares.
“It’s a really difficult time for a lot of people and to be able to let them know in some way that they have a support network and that we’re one community experiencing this, I think that’s really important,” United in Light organizer Tara McCormick said.
Participants helped make white ribbons that will be put up in various locations throughout St. Albert, and along some of the city’s most busy streets. Organizers are also encouraging residents to put up white ribbons of their own and put them up on their properties.
The event came hours after Shelly MacInnis-Wynn, the wife of Const. David Wynn, spoke publicly for the first time since her husband was gravely injured in a shooting at a St. Albert casino Saturday morning.
RCMP Inspector Gibson Glavin told CTV News Tuesday that Wynn had been doing routine plate checks on cars in the Apex Casino parking lot that morning, and one of the plates matched a stolen vehicle.
Glavin said Wynn radioed in, saying he was checking parking lot surveillance footage inside the casino, while auxiliary constable Derek Bond was dropped off to help view the footage – they reportedly noticed something from the cameras that led them to look through the casino, where they almost immediately came across a suspect, and shots rang out within seconds.
Bond was shot in the arm and torso, and has been released from hospital – but RCMP said Wynn had not regained consciousness. He was shot in the head at close range.
According to Glavin, the suspect, identified later as Shawn Rehn, 34, was tracked quickly because the officer that dropped Bond off was still in the parking lot when Rehn fled.
Police also said the moment officers the home where Rehn was tracked and found, a gunshot was heard – and the suspect was found dead.
On Monday, MacInnis-Wynn thanked RCMP, and the public for their support – but said their family, including the couple’s three sons, were saying their goodbyes.
RCMP said Tuesday morning that Wynn’s condition had not changed, and that stayed the same throughout the day.
A community prayer service is planned at the Next Christian Community (#490, 140 St. Albert Trail) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
With files from David Ewasuk
