Sask. RCMP end dangerous person alert, say 2 suspects arrested near Tobin Lake

Saskatchewan RCMP have ended a dangerous person alert and say two people are in custody after a group of masked people reportedly shot someone and stole their vehicle Thursday morning.

RCMP issued the first of several alerts shortly before 10 a.m. CST on Thursday. It said police received a report of a robbery north of Prince Albert around 8:30 a.m. CST.

RCMP said initial investigation indicated a person in a vehicle near the White Star grain elevator was approached by multiple men in a vehicle. The victim was shot and had their vehicle stolen. They were transported to hospital with unknown injuries, police say.

Police said they believed the suspects were involved in multiple armed vehicle robberies, were believed to have a gun and should be considered dangerous.

A second alert said the suspects were last seen at about 10 a.m. CST travelling north on Highway 123 toward Cumberland House.

A third alert sent at 10:38 a.m. CST said the suspects are believed to be on foot near Thunder Rapids, which is on Highway 123 about 60 kilometres northeast of Nipawin. A release Thursday evening said the truck the suspects were in had collided with a heavy equipment vehicle on Highway 123 in the Thunder Rapids area.

A fourth alert sent around Noon CST said officers from several RCMP detachments were in the area searching for the suspects. It said the alert was still in effect and that people in nearby areas should take precautions.

Over the course of the alerts, police urged people in Prince Albert, along Highway 123 and in the Thunder Rapids area to seek immediate shelter, and lock doors and windows. 

In the release cancelling the alert, RCMP said two people, a male and a female, had been arrested near Tobin Lake. Their ages were not released.

The release said two more suspects may still be on foot in the area, but the incident no longer met the criteria for a dangerous person alert.

"The search area is incredibly challenging — the bush is very dense and thick, and there is extremely limited cell service," RCMP said Thursday evening.

RCMP say residents may still see an increased police presence in the Tobin Lake area and that Highway 123 would remain blocked for the time being.

They asked residents or businesses from Holbein to Nipawin to the Thunder Rapids area with surveillance systems to check for any footage that shows a black Honda CRV with masked people in it between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. They also asked residents in the area to check on their neighbours to make sure everyone is safe.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.