Security guard now suspect in University of Alberta shootings
Edmonton police say an employee of G4S Security faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with a deadly robbery in which three guards were killed and another wounded early Friday morning at the University of Alberta.
Edmonton police announced around 3 p.m. MT that they are filing Canada-wide warrants for Travis Brandon Baumgartner, 21.
Baumgartner, who was earlier identified as a person of interest in the case, is now considered a suspect.
"With the approval of the Crown, we now believe that we have reasonable and probable grounds that this is the person who is responsible for this horrific and terrible crime," said Supt. Bob Hassel from the criminal investigations division.
Police are describing Baumgartner as "armed and dangerous" and urged anyone who encounters him to use extreme caution and contact them immediately.
Police are looking for Baumgartner following the shooting that happened as guards were making a delivery to a bank on the university campus, said Edmonton Police Service Chief Rod Knecht earlier on Friday
"This can only be described as horrific act of violence," Knecht said.
CBC News has confirmed that Brian Ilesic was one of the three guards who was killed.
Baumgartner is thought to be driving a dark blue Ford F-150, with licence plate number ZRE 724. Knecht said the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. border security are also involved in the search.
Police placed a roadblock around Baumgartner's home in Sherwood Park, east of Edmonton, Friday afternoon. Members of the RCMP emergency response team could be seen coming from the street where he lives.
Police located a G4S armoured van, abandoned and empty, about 70 blocks east of the university, and less than 200 metres away from the company's Edmonton property. It wasn't immediately clear whether it was related to the shooting, but officers were treating it as a crime scene.
The shooting took place after midnight MT inside HUB Mall, which contains retail stores and restaurants on the first floor and several storeys of student residences. The north end of the mall, where the shooting took place, has at least four automated teller machines in a small area.
"Tactical were called out, as were canine unit … Homicide has been called out," said police spokesperson Scott Pattison.
“What I can tell you is that three people are dead.”
Robin Steinberg, a spokesperson for the security company, told CBC News: "Our hearts go out to our victims' families and to all our employees at the Edmonton branch. It is just devastating .… This is the most difficult thing our company has ever had to deal with."
Steinberg said the employees who were killed would have been armed while on the job.
Student Ravedh Seeberath told CBC News that he heard shots around 12:30 a.m. MT while studying in the mall.
"As I was walking down, that's when about 30 tactical officers were rushing toward me, passing me with complete firearms … the whole works, and police dogs," he said.
"That's when I went back to my books, grabbed what I could, and told the other ladies in that little study area that we should get out of there."
The bodies were reportedly found by volunteers from Safewalk, an organization that provides escorts to students on campus at night.
The volunteers apparently investigated after hearing a thud to find a wounded man behind a locked door beside a bank of ATMs in the mall.
They then contacted campus security.
Ian Breitzke, 21, watched from his window as police arrived at the scene.
"They end up busting down the door and ended up pulling out all the bodies that were in there. They pulled out a couple that I could see were dead," he said.
"A few moments after that they pulled out the man who was still alive … EMS ended up taking him to hospital."
Baumgartner has been living with his mother in Sherwood Park. His landlord told CBC News that his tenant took a security course in Calgary to become a guard and apparently passed his psychological exam with flying colours.
He recently started working for G4S.
In his profile on the Plenty of Fish dating website, Baumgartner calls himself "an occasional smoker with athletic body type" and a gentleman who would make a date "feel like a princess."
"My ahmbitions [sic] in this world of ours is to better our world," he writes. "I intend to become a CEO of a major corporation and use my power to help everyone I can. I am a people person I love talking, I'm easy to get to know and I'm very laid back."
A university administration statement released Friday said the school is "saddened about those who lost their lives last night, and we extend our condolences to their loved ones."
"The safety and security of our students and staff is our first priority, and our campus protective services are working closely with Edmonton police," the statement said.
"Counsellors are available to students living in the residential portion of HUB. If there are students directly affected by this tragic incident who feel they cannot take exams scheduled for Friday, they can defer those exams per our existing procedures."
The statement said residents in the HUB Mall will be able to leave the building but will not be allowed to return until the mall is reopened.
Other parts of the campus were operating normally.
