Triple homicide during armoured car robbery in Edmonton

[Barrister]

Suspect interviewed in armoured car triple killing
Travis Baumgartner caught at border crossing with $330K cash
CBC News Posted: Jun 17, 2012 11:29 PM MT Last Updated: Jun 17, 2012 11:28 PM MT Read 1 comments1
Travis Baumgartner, accused in the fatal shootings of three security guards and the wounding of fourth, is taken out of a van by Canadian Border Services officers at the Aldergrove, B.C. border crossing on Saturday. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press) Close
Family of victim reacts to suspect's arrest11:15Family of victim reacts to suspect's arrest11:15Close
Fugitive caught at border3:03Fugitive caught at border3:03  Facebook 
 

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Deadly shooting at University of Alberta's HUB Mall
How the deadly shootings unfolded
Community reaction to the shootings Homicide detectives from Edmonton are expected to continue questioning Travis Baumgartner today, the man accused of killing three of his co-workers and wounding another in an armoured-car heist.

A team of eight investigators from the Edmonton police service flew in to Langley, B.C., on Saturday night after Baumgartner, who worked as a security guard, was stopped by U.S. border security at a crossing outside of Abbotsford.

"This is the best outcome we could have hoped for," Edmonton Police Supt. Bob Hassel said, adding that Baumgartner was held by U.S. security until RCMP were able to arrive to arrest him. He was not carrying a passport, but had more than $330,000 in cash with him in his vehicle, police said Sunday.

Brian Ilesic, 35, was among three security guards shot and killed Friday at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. (Courtesy Keith Ilesic)Baumgartner, who had only been on the job for a few months, faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

Portraits of those killed during the early Friday morning shooting at the University of Alberta's HUB Mall in Edmonton — identified as Michelle Shegelski, 26, Eddie Rejano, 39, and Brian Ilesic, 35 — have started to emerge.

Ilesic's brother, Keith, said in an email that the devoted father grew up in Edmonton and also lived in Vancouver for a short time before rediscovering religion within the past two years and becoming a regular churchgoer. He was described as an outdoorsman who loved Japanese cuisine and going to the movies.

"Brian was always the type of person to put his family and friends before himself. He was a loyal friend," Keith Ilesic wrote in an email to CBC News.

"But his greatest love was for his daughter, Kiannah, who he'd do anything and everything he could to make her happy and give her a promising future."

The fourth victim in the Friday shootings, Matthew Schuman, remains in critical condition in hospital. Schuman is a corporal in the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed as a firefighter at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, who also held a second job at G4S Security.

Body armour, gun still missing
Baumgartner arrived at the border crossing in the same blue Ford F-150, with his mother's licence plate on the back, that police had been searching for since he became a suspect.

'Sometimes you have to scratch your head and wonder why people would knowingly come up and make contact with law enforcement'
—Tom Schreiber, U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionThe licence plate was scanned by an automated system at the crossing and set off an alarm warning security that the driver was considered armed and dangerous.

"Sometimes you have to scratch your head and wonder why people [wanted by police] would knowingly come up and make contact with law enforcement," said Tom Schreiber, chief border officer at the crossing.

"Maybe he thought he would be able to get through — I don't know."

Forensic investigators were going through the truck, but police said his company-owned gun and body armour were not recovered.

Baumgartner is expected to be transferred back to Edmonton this week.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2012/06/18/edmonton-baumgartner-interview.html

What an unbelievably moronic and tragic story.  The guy works for an armoured car company.  The details of what happened that night still haven't become clear, but we know that early Friday morning Baumgartner shoots his four colleagues, killing three of them.  He escapes in his own vehicle (but switches the plate with his mothers car) and is arrested trying to cross the border with $300k in cash.

How on earth did he think he'd get away with this horrific crime?  He seems to have barely taken even the most basic steps to conceal his involvement. 

With little else to report, media have been going nuts reporting on the contents of his Facebook page.  It's mostly normal, but recently he did post some quotes from the Joker from The Dark Knight movie.  And he posted a picture or two of him looking like an internet tough guy in cammo and a mask.

[Jacob]

Killing three people and risking spending the next 20 years or however in jail... for $300K? That seems a pretty stupid move.

[Barrister]

Killing three people and risking spending the next 20 years or however in jail... for $300K? That seems a pretty stupid move.

No kidding.

I sure hope there's more to this, because otherwise it's a stunning mix of stupidity and callousness.

[Malthus]

Killing three people and risking spending the next 20 years or however in jail... for $300K? That seems a pretty stupid move.

People are often murdered for much less.

But yeah, incredibly badly thought out crime. Another for BB's stupid criminals file. 

[DGuller]

Kinda tough to come up with an alibi for that crime.  You'd think people would think through decisions that involve quadruple murder.

[Barrister]

Killing three people and risking spending the next 20 years or however in jail... for $300K? That seems a pretty stupid move.

People are often murdered for much less.

But yeah, incredibly badly thought out crime. Another for BB's stupid criminals file. 

But those tend to be crimes of passion, or people operating under the influence.

[CountDeMoney]

Killing three people and risking spending the next 20 years or however in jail... for $300K? That seems a pretty stupid move.

He may not even have known how much the haul would be.  And yes, people have been murdered over $50. 

"Sometimes you have to scratch your head and wonder why people [wanted by police] would knowingly come up and make contact with law enforcement," said Tom Schreiber, chief border officer at the crossing.

Because you guys aren't always that fucking sharp. Believe me, I know.  And I'd take my chances with your powers of observation right after your lunch break, pal.

[Jacob]

Nice touch stealing the license plates from his mom's car.

[Barrister]

Nice touch stealing the license plates from his mom's car.

Stealing a plate to cover a stolen car is extremely common place.  But to steal your mom's plate?  They very mom who made a public plea to her son to turn himself in?

[Malthus]

But those tend to be crimes of passion, or people operating under the influence.

People get knifed in a botched mugging over a wallet.

[Ed Anger]

I liked the run to the border crossing. THE AMERICANS ARE SO FRIENDLY.

[Berkut]

They never account for those meddling kids!