WEYBURN – The RCMP are urging the public to disregard a widely circulated social media post alleging a series of shootings on highways near Weyburn. Officials say the claims are entirely unfounded and have sparked unnecessary concern across the region.
“We have seen a recent social media post circulating that includes misinformation about shootings happening on highways, etc. in the Weyburn area,” the RCMP said in a statement released Tuesday. “This information is not accurate and the Weyburn RCMP has not received any reports of this nature.”
The RCMP said that while residents may notice an increased police presence in the Weyburn area, it’s not related to any new or ongoing threat. The heightened patrol activity stems from collaborative efforts between the Saskatchewan Protection and Response Team, the Sask Marshals Service, and the Weyburn Police Service, who are assisting with routine patrols in the region.
“Weyburn RCMP continues to conduct their own patrols of the detachment area and respond to regular calls for service. This is why the public may see an increased police presence in the Weyburn area. There have not been any other reports of shootings that may be considered connected to the Sept. 12 RCMP investigation.”
Police are asking residents to refrain from sharing the inaccurate post to prevent the spread of misinformation and unnecessary panic.
“We encourage the public to stop sharing the incorrect social media post to eliminate rumours and misinformation.”
The RCMP reiterated their commitment to public safety, assuring residents that any imminent threat would be communicated immediately, saying, “they take the public’s safety very seriously.”
Woman fatally shot
Shortly after 8 p.m. on Sept. 12, first responders from the Weyburn Police Service and EMS were dispatched to a report of a person who was seriously injured in an SUV travelling on Highway 39 approximately three kilometres northwest of Weyburn near the Richardson Pioneer/Viterra grain terminals/elevators.
The police investigation determined two adult females were travelling together in a black Ford Explorer on Highway 39, driving towards Weyburn. A loud crack was heard and a passenger, a 44-year-old female from Weyburn, was struck by a bullet that had entered the travelling Ford Explorer. Tanya Myers, 44, died as a result of the shooting.
RCMP say that Myers was shot when someone discharged a firearm that struck the travelling vehicle from behind. The driver, also from the Weyburn area, wasn’t injured and isn’t considered a suspect.
sparks@sasktoday.ca
