EDMONTON - Two RCMP officers have been injured after a shooting near Killam, Alberta at approximately 2:00 Tuesday afternoon.
The officers were shot while responding to a call at a rural residence 10 kilometres southeast of the town.
RCMP Chief Supt. Rick Taylor told the media Tuesday night that the officers were executing a search warrant for a .45 calibre handgun.
STARS Air Ambulance helicopters from both Edmonton and Calgary were dispatched to the scene.
The two injured RCMP officers were flown to the Royal Alexandra and U of A hospitals in Edmonton after sustaining gunshot injuries to the torso.
The conditions of the officers have not been released, but Taylor says they were undergoing surgery.
Global News has learned one of the wounded officers is Sid Gaudette. The young father hails from Lethbridge and was recently married.
RCMP from five neighbouring detachments surrounded the rural residence. Emergency response teams are also on the scene. It’s believed two suspects are involved.
“We are looking for, we believe, a second male and we don’t know if that male is in the residence or in the area around it,” says Taylor, adding the first man is believed to still be in the residence.
“We are currently at the scene. We have numerous police resources there, and trying to make contact with anyone within that residence.”
Taylor says no one had been taken into custody as of Tuesday evening.
“We believe the incident is contained to the residence in the rural area.”
Taylor emphasizes the community is not in danger.
“At this point in time we have nothing to suggest there is any danger to the community. We have resources in place now, trying to assess who is and who is not in that residence and we hope to have those answers shortly.”
One officer had about five years service and the other had about two years.
A request has been made for STARS to return to Killam on standby.
Killam's mayor Bud James released a statement on Twitter Tuesday afternoon: "Tragic and disturbing events near #Killam today. Our prayers go out to our friends at Killam Detachment and their families."
Premier Alison Redford also responded to the shooting Tuesday afternoon, saying the situation is terrible.
Area residents are shocked by the news.
Jim Hazelwood lives close to the shooting. “It doesn’t happen out here, it’s more the big city stuff not the rural stuff that happens. It’s a small community, you don’t think none of this stuff happens out here.
"I think it’s more of a localized thing, a one time thing, I don’t think it’s going to be everyday out here,” says Hazelwood, “Because we’re pretty small close knit community out here.”
Killam is about 160 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
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