The Canadian Press reported March 3 that the four officers who shot to death by a man with a high-powered rifle while investigating a grow operation in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta. The killer, who allegedly ran the grow-op, then shot and killed himself.

"I'm told you have to go back to about 1885 in RCMP history and the Northwest Rebellion to have a loss of this magnitude," said assistant RCMP commissioner Bill Sweeney. "It's devastating. We're all in terrible shock and mourning."

Staff Sgt. Birnie Smith of the Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigative Team said that the killings may get Canadians to take the threat of marijuana grow-ops more seriously. "There is some apathy out there, and unfortunately maybe it takes incidents like this to wake people up," he said. "It's a danger to everyone."

The Toronto Globe and Mail reported March 4 that Canadian lawmakers are already working on tougher penalties for growing marijuana in the wake of the tragedy. A major marijuana-reform measure is already before the House of Commons.

"There is a resource issue, but I think there is also an issue around do we have the right laws in place, have we given the RCMP and other forces the right tools they need to deal with what is an amazing growth, quite truthfully, in these operations," said Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan.

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