Edmonton police begin interrogation of Travis Baumgartner in B.C.
Baumgartner caught with $330,000
Travis Brandon Baumgartner, 21. Photo: Edmonton Police Service.
By Beacon staff
Now that Travis Baumgartner is in custody, Edmonton police have begun to question him about Friday’s triple slaying at the University of Alberta’s HUB Mall. Homicide detectives travelled to Langley, B.C. Saturday evening, to continue their investigation.
“We have a team of eight EPS investigators that flew into B.C. last night, who are busy sifting through evidence, including the suspect’s vehicle, as we speak,” said Supt. Bob Hassel, of EPS’s Criminal Investigations Division.
“Sheriffs will be accompanying the accused back to Edmonton sometime next week.”
Travis Baumgartner, wanted on Canada-wide warrants on three counts of first degree murder, one count of attempted murder and four counts of armed robbery, was arrested Saturday at 4:08 p.m. MST by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials while attempting to cross into the United States at Lynden, Washington.
“The accused was still driving the blue Ford F-150 truck, which had the licence plate (CAA 636) from his mother’s vehicle on it,” said Hassel. “They had him in custody just after 4 p.m. and we were notified by 5 p.m., that they had our suspect with a large quantity of money in his truck – around $330,000.
“Mr. Baumgartner was arrested peacefully and without incident, the best outcome we could have possibly hoped for. The accused was arrested and in custody in just under 48 hours, from the time we notified border officials and policing agencies across North America early Friday morning until late Saturday afternoon. We’re grateful to the RCMP, the border officials at Lynden, Washington and all of our policing partners who helped bring this dangerous suspect into custody in such an expeditious manner.”
Hassel added that the Edmonton Police Service’s thoughts and prayers go out to the victims’ families of this terrible tragedy, and to the family of the lone survivor, Matthew Schuman, who remains in critical condition in hospital.
“We have been in contact with all of the families involved, including Sandy Baumgartner, Travis’s mother, and all are relieved the suspect is now in custody,” Hassel.
EPS members were called out to the university’s Hub Mall area after midnight Friday after receiving a call of shots fired.
Upon arrival, police found three deceased individuals and a fourth who was transported to hospital with undetermined injuries. EPS investigators confirmed the shootings were the result of an armed robbery of an armoured vehicle making deliveries at the University of Alberta’s Hub Mall building.
Travis Baumgartner was a G4S employee who was one of the team of G4S employees that attended the U of A just after midnight Friday make a delivery. Police say Baumgartner shot and killed three of his armoured guard colleagues and put a fourth guard in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Category: Alberta
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