Shelter in place order lifted in Deep River after woman stabbed

The shelter in place order for residents of Deep River, Ont., was lifted Thursday afternoon after about 20 hours.

It followed a stabbing Wednesday afternoon that left one person with life-threatening injuries, according to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

No arrests have been announced and residents are still being asked by police to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and avoid Golf Course Road and McElligott Drive between Banting Drive and Granite Lane.

OPP said Thursday officers responded to what they originally called a “serious incident” around McElligott Drive at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

One person was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. They were still alive as of 11 a.m. Thursday, OPP said.

CBC News has learned that the victim was a woman.

Wyatt Krueger said one of his friends and colleagues brought the victim to hospital. “Obviously it’s something traumatic, but [my friend] seems all good,” he said.

‘Like a ghost town’

Deep River Mayor Suzanne D’Eon said it was a very unusual situation for her community.

“I’m worried for the family and friends of the victim,” she said. “I don’t know who the victim is, but my heart goes out to them.”

D’Eon said the community was “like a ghost town” during the lockdown period.

“I’m sure everybody had a bit of anxiety,” she said. “[It’s] a lot to deal with the unknown. We don’t know too much in the range of details right now, but there was a threat.”

D’Eon added that residents should reach out to friends if they are uncomfortable leaving home.

“I know there’s people watching out for each other,” she said.

Asked to take precautions

Residents in the area were asked to shelter in place, then that expanded to the entire town around 7:20 p.m.

People in the town of about 4,200 people along the Trans-Canada Highway were asked to stay inside, lock their doors and windows, close their blinds and avoid interacting with anyone they did not know.

WATCH | Reporting from Deep River early Wednesday afternoon:

Shelter in place ongoing for Deep River following reported stabbing: police

Residents of Deep River, Ont. have been told to shelter in place following a reported stabbing Wednesday evening, according to police. The Ontario Provincial Police told CBC News around 7:15 a.m. on Thursday that the shelter in place order was still in effect.

In an update posted at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Deep River police said they and OPP were actively investigating and “are working to locate the suspect involved.”

Some of the community’s schools and businesses said Thursday morning they were closed until further notice. The town delayed waste collection and some nearby schools cancelled bus service.

OPP Const. Mike Mahon said the shelter in place order was “for several reasons,” including the need to find a suspect and to ensure police resources are in the right place.

“With Deep River not being as large of a police force as we are, they asked us for help. We needed to make sure we had the ability to get in and do what we need to do with the area we had to work with,” he told CBC News.

“The shelter in place was to protect the public as well at the start because that’s our main focus.”

Deep River is a rough halfway point on a drive between Ottawa and North Bay. It, and Mattawa on the other side, are hubs for stopping before a drive through a largely remote area along the Ottawa River just east of Algonquin Park.

Krueger told CBC News Thursday morning the town was much quieter than usual. He was at work Thursday morning and said his boss was calling occasionally to check on him and his coworkers.

“The community has been really good to try and follow all the guidance” from police, mayor D’Eon said, but added that she wished there had been a better way to get the word out about the shelter in place order other than social media and “going around in a firetruck with a loudspeaker.”

“I certainly want to look into that and try to resolve that right away,” she said.

When asked why some kind of phone alert was not sent, Mahon told CBC News that officers did what they deemed was appropriate at the time.