A Canadian border guard is in stable condition Wednesday after being shot in the neck while working on the job at the British Columbia-Washington crossing.
Officer Lori Bowcock was shot by a man driving a van with a Washington license plate. The man turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. The bullet also hit Bowcock.
"This investigation is going to be thorough. We’ll leave no rocks unturned,” said the RCMP.
Bowcock was a former OPP dispatcher. She was just four months on the job.
"We’re hoping for a speedy recovery for her,” said Jason McMichael, Canadian Customs and Immigrations union. “And our hearts go out to the members that are still in the field coast to coast.”
Union members met in Ottawa and said the tragedy is only another example of why guards should be armed.
"This could happen to anybody, any day and I think we all go out there realizing this could happen.” said one member.
All Canadian border officers will be armed by 2016. So far less han half have been trained to carry a gun. It’s not clear if Bowcock was.
"They are laying their lives on the line literally every day. Our folks come in contact will all sorts of potential threats on a daily basis and the need for our members to be armed is absolutely paramount,” said McMichael.
The country’s Public Safety Minister said while the shooting is tragic, it still isn’t reason to speed-up the arming of nearly 5,000 Canadian border guards.
"I want to ensure that officers that do carry firearms are appropriately trained not simply in terms of the firearm itself but the steps before lethal force is used,” said Vic Toews, Canada's Public Safety Minister.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Catherine Lathem.
