ST. PAUL - St. Paul RCMP have confirmed that they responded to a complaint of a drive-by shooting in the community the morning of Aug. 2. The incident happened near the 5600 block of 51st Ave., in the Town of St. Paul, shortly after 10 a.m.
"Within minutes, the suspect vehicle was located by RCMP driving within the town of St. Paul," according to RCMP. When police located the vehicle and tried to pull it over, it fled.
“This is obviously a scary situation for members of the public, however our response was quick and we were able to arrest one of the suspects. Public safety is our greatest priority," said S/Sgt. Greg Stannard of the St. Paul RCMP.
RCMP initiated a pursuit that lead into rural areas the County of St. Paul and lasted for a significant period of time before eventually ending in Saddle Lake Cree Nation. At least one suspect then fled from the vehicle.
"RCMP do not believe this was a random event and do not believe the general public is currently at risk," according to RCMP. "There is also a belief that there were further suspects in the vehicle that are still outstanding. The investigation is ongoing."
With the help of Police Dog Services and neighbouring detachments, one female suspect was arrested on scene without incident.
Charity Rose Gadwa, 23, of Bonnyville, Alta., was charged with a number of offences, including discharging a firearm with intent, flight from peace officer, impaired operation of a vehicle, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession of property obtained by crime, careless use of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, along with other charges.
Gadwa was remanded into custody after a judicial hearing and will be appearing in St. Paul Provincial Court on Aug. 5.
St. Paul RCMP are asking the public's assistance for any information in relation to this incident, or identifying those responsible. Please contact St. Paul RCMP at 780-645-8888 or any local police.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the "P3 Tips" app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
