Border officials discover Texas man dead after hearing gun shots Thursday morning

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By Shawn Merrithew

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One man is dead following a shooting incident at the Woodstock-Houlton border.

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PHOTO BY SHAWN MERRITHEW

District 7 RCMP are investigating a shooting incident, in which one man was found dead in a Texas-plated vehicle at the Canadian border crossing in Belleville.

District 7 RCMP say the incident occurred Thursday morning around 9 a.m.

Sgt. Dave Vautour said a 52-year-old male from Spring, Texas, was found dead in a vehicle just moments after reporting to the Canadian border crossing checkpoint in Belleville. Officials confirmed the man was being detained for a secondary search of the vehicle due to suspicions of impairment.

The two-door Saab hatchback, bearing Texas license plates, continued a short distance past the initial checkpoint before stopping again.

Sgt. Vautour said a shot was heard, and the driver of the vehicle was found dead by Canada Border Service Agency officials.

"He had pulled up to the border, and they were going to do a secondary screening," Sgt. Vautour explained, noting the shooting took place before officials could conduct a further search.

Sgt. Vautour added RCMP did recover a .38 calibre revolver at the scene. RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Gary Cameron also confirmed alcohol was found in the vehicle.

S.Sgt. Cameron also said no one appeared to be chasing the man to the border. He could not rule out the possibility the man may have had a previous criminal history.

The driver was the lone occupant of the vehicle at the time of the shooting, he added, and no one else was injured in the incident.

Canada Border Services Agency officials closed the border to traffic coming into Canada for about three hours while police investigated the scene.

A transport truck was used to block the horrific scene from traffic travelling into the United States.

Numerous calls to Canada Border Services Agency were not returned by press time.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, Vautour said Thursday afternoon, and RCMP are working with Texas authorities in the matter.

"Foul play is not suspected," he said, adding alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

"The RCMP is continuing its investigation to confirm the identity and notify next of kin."

With files from Adam Bowie.