Trespasser shot on rural Alta. property, 22 firearms charges laid: RCMP

Guns seized from a property near Viking, Alta. (Source: RCMP)

Two people were shot at, and one of the pair was hit, while exploring what they claimed to believe was an abandoned rural property east of Edmonton, according to RCMP.

A 59-year-old man who Mounties say was living at the Viking-area home is facing nearly two dozen charges in connection to the incident, but none related to the shooting.

Instead, he was charged with weapons offences after RCMP searched the address and found dozens of firearms. 

Mounties have not confirmed to media who owned the property. 

'SHOT AT MULTIPLE TIMES' 

Viking, a community of about 1,000, is 130 kilometres east of Edmonton.

According to Mounties, a person who had been shot in the leg went to the hospital in Viking on June 5. Police did not disclose the victim's age.

He and a friend were reportedly exploring what they believed to be an abandoned property when "suddenly they were shot at multiple times by an unknown male," police said in a news release announcing the charges.

22 FIREARMS CHARGES LAID 

Five days later, RCMP executed a search warrant at the property on Township Road 472, finding 14 loaded firearms, eight of which were restricted. In total, police seized 44 firearms.

According to an RCMP spokesperson, release conditions had prohibited the man from possessing firearms. 

His Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) has been revoked, RCMP said. 

He faces 14 counts of careless storage of a firearm and eight counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm.

He was due in court on Thursday in Fort Saskatchewan.  

Police say the two people were trespassing at the time of the incident, but as of Friday, were not facing trespassing charges. The RCMP spokesperson could not say if any would be laid in the future.