Later on March 2, 2005, members of Mayerthorpe and Whitecourt Detachments, in cooperation with a Joint RCMP/Edmonton Police Service Green Team, executed search warrants at the rural residential property. The occupant of the residence was not located at that time.

At approximately 04:30 a.m. on March 3, 2005, two uniform members were left to secure the property until Edmonton RCMP Auto Theft Unit members attended the location to conduct a search of the property for stolen goods. Just prior to 9:00 a.m., two additional uniform members attended the residence. At 9:15 a.m., two members of the Edmonton RCMP Auto Theft Unit arrived at the residence, and upon exiting the vehicle, heard shots being fired inside a quonset hut on the property. A male suspect, yet to be positively identified, exited the quonset and fired a number of shots at Auto Theft members, who returned fire. This suspect retreated inside the quonset. Members of Edmonton and Red Deer Emergency Response Teams were deployed along with other Support Units.

At 2:18 p.m. March 3, 2005, after securing the scene, four of our members were located inside the quonset, apparently dead as a result of gunshot wounds. Three of the members killed were from Mayerthorpe RCMP Detachment and the other member that was killed was stationed at Whitecourt RCMP Detachment. The suspect was also located deceased within the same building.

Update
Additional press releases will be issued when information becomes available. This has been a long and exhaustive day for police, no further information will be available tonight. A further release will not be made until March 4, 2005 after meetings with Senior RCMP management. Names are not being released pending the notification of next of kin.

A French speaking member will be provided for interviews tomorrow.