Calgary police charge suspect in weekend shootings, one of them fatal

Article content

Calgary police have charged a man they believe was involved in two weekend shootings as friends and family mourn the death of one victim.

Article content

Investigators say they believe the two shootings, which occurred on back-to-back mornings in the neighboring northeast communities of Falconridge and Castleridge, are related to the same suspect who is charged in both incidents.

Article content

Tyler Roan, a 25-year-old Calgarian, faces a second-degree murder charge in the Nov. 12 slaying of 41-year-old Nathan Ward in Falconridge. He is also charged with attempted murder and robbery with a firearm in the November 11 Castleridge shooting, which left one man in critical condition.

Roan will appear in court on Tuesday.

In the Falconridge murder, police say they believe the victim and gunman were known to each other, with investigations into the motive continuing. In the Castleridge shooting, police say the motive is suspected to be robbery with the victim unknown to the gunman, but investigators said there were some elements that connected the incidents.

Article content

“The way the situations played out was different. However, the time in the morning that it happened, (the) very close proximity and the evidence found from the scene in both separate locations led us to believe that there is a possible connection here. Increased awareness of that and focus on that area led us to some quick conclusions,” says Sgt. Sean Gregson at a Monday news conference.

The victim of the Castleridge shooting — an unidentified 56-year-old man — remains in hospital in serious but stable condition, according to police. Gregson said the victim was in the wrong place at the wrong time; he was shot as he walked with his young daughter to his car, which had been stolen by the gunman.

Article content

“Someone went up to their vehicle in the morning to go to work,” he said. “Our offender used this as an opportunity to get a vehicle and that’s where that shooting took place.”

Gregson said the shooting, which happened within two days in the same area, was a “major concern” for the force, which used numerous resources to find the suspect. He said the arrest of Roan – who was known to the police before the incidents – had “removed that threat from the community”.

“Two shootings; two days; same time in the morning. What was going through someone’s head? The potential for more violence was there, so that was the top priority,” Gregson said.

“We are very relieved that we were able to arrest him very quickly.”

At Falconridge Place NE, where Calgary resident Ward was found dead of gunshot wounds Saturday morning, friends and families gathered for a vigil Sunday night.

Attendees placed flowers, candles and cigarettes in the snow in memory of Ward, as they called for justice in his murder.

Ward’s death is Calgary’s 24th homicide of 2022 to date.

Those with information about the shootings are asked to contact police via the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or calgarycrimestoppers.org.

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring