The Alberta RCMP has lifted a shelter-in-place order for residents in the Cold Lake and Bonnyville areas, following a manhunt for an armed suspect.
The RCMP issued the initial shelter-in-place
warning on the morning of Sept. 2, instructing residents to stay indoors, lock their doors, and call 911 if they see any suspicious activity. Cold Lake and Bonnyville are both located northeast of Edmonton.
The order covered an area north of Kingsway, west of 62 Street, south of Township Road 632, and east of Range Road 424, which included the Cold Lake Golf and Country Club.
An update lifting the shelter-in-place order was issued roughly five hours later.
“RCMP have conducted an extensive search and no longer believe the suspect is in the area. The reported firearm has been recovered by police,” the force said in
a post on the platform X.
Police described the suspect as roughly six feet tall, wearing a black hat, a white-and-black shirt, and blue jeans. No arrests have been reported at this time.
Ongoing Manhunt
Last month, the Alberta RCMP issued a shelter-in-place order due to a separate manhunt for 28-year-old Elijah Blake Strawberry, who is wanted in connection to the murder of Colin John Hough from Airdrie.The RCMP is leading a multi-provincial investigation in collaboration with police forces from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and various Alberta cities, according to the RCMP’s
latest update on Aug. 23.
The manhunt began with a shelter-in-place order issued by the Strathmore RCMP on
Aug. 6, following a shooting in Rocky View County, where two individuals were shot, including Hough, who was fatally wounded. Police said that the victims were shot during an attempted robbery by the suspects, who stole one of the victims’ pickup trucks.
On Aug. 12, police announced the arrest of one suspect, a 35-year-old Edmonton resident, who has been charged with first-degree murder in Hough’s case and attempted murder of the other victim. The police also identified Strawberry as the second suspect involved in the shooting.
“I want to assure everyone that the RCMP has done, and continue to do, everything in our power to swiftly investigate and arrest these dangerous suspects. I give my most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Colin Hough who was out working and making a living when these individuals took his life,” RCMP Staff Sergeant Mark Wielgosz said in a
press release issued Aug. 12.
Strawberry is described as having a light complexion, standing 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 169 pounds, with several tattoos on his arms and face, and brown hair. The RCMP is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest.
