A family that narrowly escaped a hail of bullets while camping northwest of Calgary is seeking answers after criminal charges against three men were suddenly stayed, leaving them traumatized and without closure.
Incident Details
On August 17, 2024, Lana Clyde, her family of four, and seven others were enjoying backcountry camping and dirt biking at Transalta Road in the Waiparous area when 15 to 20 rifle shots were fired in their direction. The family had been sitting around a bonfire when the shots rang out, whizzing over their heads. Clyde described diving on her son and others running behind vehicles for cover, hoping not to be hit. The volley lasted about 30 seconds.
At the same time, a provincial conservation officer patrolling the area also narrowly missed being hit. He quickly located the source of the gunfire and confronted three men, issuing tickets for improperly discharging a firearm on public lands. The officer later stated in a court witness statement that he observed approximately 15 bullets travel past him by several feet in two separate locations.
Aftermath and Charges
After the incident, some campers confronted the men, who took photos and one allegedly gave the middle finger. The province subsequently imposed a recreational firearms ban on the Ghost Public Land Use Zone where the incident occurred. Initially, the men received tickets, but charges were later upgraded to criminal offenses: two counts of careless use of a firearm per suspect and one count each of discharge of a firearm that endangers persons.
A three-day trial was scheduled to begin May 13, but the day before, the families learned the charges were stayed and legal proceedings would not proceed. Clyde noted that this happened soon after the defendants dismissed their lawyer and the Crown prosecutor was replaced. The reason given was that the Crown did not believe the case had a reasonable chance of leading to convictions.
Family's Trauma
Clyde described the incident as reckless and deeply traumatic for her family. In a victim impact statement, she wrote, "Before this happened, my children saw the outdoors … as somewhere we went to disconnect from the world and connect with nature. Since that day it has not been the same. We have not been camping since." The family continues to seek answers and justice for the near-fatal encounter that has forever changed their view of the outdoors.
