Fourteen charges have been laid against a 16-year-old Morley youth in connection to the shooting of a German tourist on Aug. 2. The teen suspect was arrested on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation reserve approximately 10 minutes west of where the incident took place, on Aug. 24. “This investigation has progressed by what I call good old fashion police work. Our investigators have talked to over a hundred people in the course of this investigation,” said Cpl. Curtis Peters said. “I continue to believe there was no conflict leading up to the shooting but I won’t go into any further detail than that.” The teen was not the sole occupant of the vehicle, though no other suspects are sought. Peters said RCMP believe they have identified the persons responsible and are not going to release details on potential motive ahead of trial. The initial individual taken in for questioning the day after the shooting occurred, as well as the black Sebring detained by Cochrane RCMP, have been ruled out as suspects. “No one else is being sought as a suspect at this point,” said Cpl. Curtis Peters. Investigators have located and seized the vehicle and the firearm which are believed to be involved in this offense. The youth, whose name is protected under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, faces 14 charges including attempted murder, discharging a firearm with intent and possession of a prohibited weapon. “For the charge of attempted murder, there has to have been an intention that the act committed would cause the death of the individual,” Peters said. “We believe that the firing of the weapon into the driver’s window meets that threshold; that there was a knowledge that that action would reasonably cause that person to die.” The youth has been remanded into custody and made his first court appearance on Aug. 28 in Cochrane Provincial Court. Police would not disclose whether the youth was known to police prior to the incident. Details on a motive were also not released, though Peter’s said investigators might have an understanding of what the motive was. The man who was shot has returned to his home in Germany where the bullet was removed and he will be receiving “extensive” physiotherapy. RCMP said they have notified the man and his family of the update. “The victim and the family have been notified of the outcome of the charges laid,” Peters said. “They expressed their gratitude to the investigative team.” No other details will be released by RCMP going forward.
