A Red Deer man faces weapons charges following reports of a gunshot from inside a Red Deer apartment building just before 10 a.m. on Friday.
Const. Chris Kosack, media liaison officer for Red Deer City RCMP, said police received reports of a shot fired from a third-floor suite in the four-story Alpine Manor apartment building at 55th Street and 47th Avenue.
Responding officers have determined that a single shot was fired into the ceiling of the suite, which faces north over 55th Street.
“The people above have not mentioned anything to police as of yet (regarding whether the bullet entered their suite),” he said Friday morning.
There were no injuries as a result of the shot, but a male suspect was injured after allegedly resisting arrest, Kosack said.
“One of the suspects did resist arrest — it was required to use the amount of force to gain control of the suspect,” he said.
The man and two women were arrested at the scene.
A rifle was recovered from the scene.
Kosack said all three suspects are adults, but their relation to each other was not yet known.
A woman who identified herself as the man’s mother told the Advocate the rifle was gift from his father, and it went off accidentally while he was handling it. She said the gun was a John Wayne commemorative rifle.
Wearing only a housecoat to fend off the -6C cold as she stood at the building entrance, the woman said she lives on the second floor, immediately below her son’s apartment.
Police officers could be seen walking around inside and occasionally came out to the balcony of the suite from which the shot is alleged to have been fired.
There were as many as eight police vehicles parked outside the building an hour after the initial complaint was laid, including both marked and unmarked vehicles.
“When we attend these, we go with the utmost, heightened awareness,” said Kosack.
Alcohol was a factor, said Kosack.
A 35-year-old man, whose name is being withheld until charges against him have been sworn, is to appear in Red Deer provincial court on April 19.
The man, released from custody later Friday, is charged with resisting arrest, careless use of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm and unsafe storage of a firearm.
The women who were arrested with him have been released without charges.
Police ask anyone who has further information to contact the city RCMP at 403-343-5575.
To remain anonymous, report tips online at www.tipsubmit.com or call Crimestoppers, 1-800-222-8477.
bkossowan@www.reddeeradvocate.com