Peter de Groot named by police as suspected Slocan gunman

A heavilyarmed man who allegedly shot at police in the small B.C. Kootenay community of Slocanand then fled into the woods Thursdayis still at large, police say.

RCMP have identified the suspect asPeter de Groot, 45, and say he is known to police.The community of about 300 peopleis still in lockdown, as police continue their hunt.

Police saidhe isconsidered to be armed and dangerous and are askingthe public not toapproach him if seen, but to call 911.

In a release issued Friday morning, RCMP SoutheastChief Supt. Frank Smart urgedlocal residentsto avoid the cordoned-off area and remain indoors.

"I thank the residents of Slocan for their patience and co-operationduring this tense situation. Your safety is our primary concern," said Smart.

Smart said that over the last 12 hourspolice have searched de Groot's home and seizeda number of firearms.

He added that extraresources have been brought into the small village to assist the manhunt, includingair support, the Southeast District Emergency Response Team, a crisis negotiator, police dogs and a tactical armouredvehicle.

Meanwhile,Jeff Jones, a school district superintendent, told CBC News thatW.E. Graham and Winlaw schools will both remain closed.

Homes, schools, daycare evacuated

Police locked down homes around the village,and evacuatedschools and daycare facilitiesThursday afternoon.

• Read more about the Slocan, B.C. evacuation

A least 40 officers were brought in from a number of B.C. detachments and homes were evacuated in what police are calling "an area of containment" west of the village ofSlocan, at the south end of Slocan Lake.

Ed Nielsen, principal of the W.E. Graham school, told CBC News some 20 children, aged between four and seven years old, had been inan outdoor classroomacross the river from the shooting.

"[The teacher]radioedin that they'd heard gunshots and then we lost communication with them," said Nielsen, who was in the main school building at the time.

He and an educational assistant eventually managed to move the children from the classroom into the main building, which was put inlockdownby the RCMP.

Slocan principal on lockdown RAW

10 years ago

Duration 0:54

Ed Nielsen tried to evacuate children from W.E. Graham school

A local school and daycare were initially locked down, butlater, people were told to leave.All the children were taken from the local elementary school to thefire hallon buses, where parents showed ID to pick them up.

Police officers wereco-ordinating traffic to allow people to pickuptheirchildren andgethome from work.

The police manhunt continued through the nightas an RCMP cruiser with its lights flashing ensured that nobody was allowed into the town.

A number of police using infrared goggles and wearing flak jackets combedthrough the thick brush and trees surrounded by low-lying mountains.

The search was made more difficultby patches of fog limiting visibility in certain areas.

Triggered by dispute

Police say the incident began just after noon when RCMP officers with the Slocan/New Denver detachment were called about a dispute between two people.

While the officers were on scene on SlocanWest Road near Gravel Pit Road, a man allegedly shot at themwith a long rifle.

No one was injured, but the man fled into the surrounding forest. It was believed he was equipped with multiple firearms, according to police.

SoutheastRCMP first tweeted the alert out on behalf of the Slocan detachment just after 3:30 p.m., only saying at the time that there was a serious police incident.

Police were asking anyone with knowledgeabout the location of the suspect to call 911, but not to otherwise broadcast the information.

"As this is an unfolding event with an alleged armed suspect, we are asking that the movements and locations of responding officers not be divulged through social media. To do so may jeopardize police and public safety," said RCMPConst. Kris Clark on Thursday.

Witnesses in Slocan City told CBC News they sawseveral police cruisers racing intothe town, which is about an hour north of Nelson, B.C.

Bob Strong was in Slocan at the time police began evacuating it.

"I was out on the street when an RCMP officer came up to me and said,'We're both targets right now, get off the street,'" he told CBC News.

• On mobile?Click here for a map showing the area west ofSlocan