People who know a man who was detained by Cochrane RCMP in connection with the shooting of a German tourist on Thursday say he has been in trouble before.

Police descended on a home not far from the RCMP detachment in the community west of Calgary at about 3:20 p.m. on Friday and ended up detaining a man.

A black, four-door Chrysler Sebring was also seized and is currently under forensic examination.

Annemarie Stevenson, who says the man taken in by police was a friend of hers, says she came to the area because she recognized the home at the centre of the investigation and wanted to help.

“I explained to the cops that he is a troubled kid, he has been into cocaine, drugs, all that kind of stuff for years. Hanging around the wrong people and this was probably his downfall.”

Stevenson told CTV Calgary that she is certain that he was involved in the incident that resulted in a German tourist being shot in the head on Highway 1A near Morley on Thursday.

The victim, a 60-year-old man, remains in hospital in Calgary after undergoing surgery because the bullet fired at him ended up in his brain.

Officials say he may likely have some lasting, permanent effects from the incident.

Three other people who were inside the car when the shooting took place were hurt when the vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree.

Stevenson says she is feeling for the victims in the incident.

“I am feeling for the one who got it. It wasn’t fair to the person that was driving down the road, an innocent bystander, trying to enjoy the day and then you get something like this. They have a family and loved ones they’ve got at home that they need to get to.”

Police initially said the shooting could have been the result of a road rage incident, but said in an update on Friday evening that that was no longer the case.

"We've put a lot of resources into this investigation so we are following up on any tips or leads that we get," said Corporal Laurel Scott with Alberta RCMP.

Scott says she knows the incident has created waves throughout the province, if not the world.

"This has caused huge community and public concern. We are dealing with a citizen from a different country which puts a different dynamic on this investigation as well."

She says that they can't speculate on any one theory for the motive.

"We do not have this nailed down to any particular reason or cause yet."

Alberta's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ricardo Miranda, issued the following statement on behalf of the government in regards to the shooting on Saturday evening:

Like everyone, I am saddened by this senseless crime. On behalf of the Government of Alberta I would like to extend our support and thoughts to the victim and his family.  

Albertans have shown their world-renowned generosity and compassion to the family, and I would like to thank all the people who have reached out to offer assistance during this difficult time. This is an isolated tragedy that does not reflect the warm and welcoming Alberta I know.

This appears to be a singular incident, and not at all indicative of the experience of most travellers to Alberta. Thousands of tourists from Germany and other countries visit Alberta each year and enjoy safe, memorable experiences in our breathtaking landscapes.

As we await more details of the police investigation, we will continue to support the victim and his family in any way possible.

Cochrane RCMP has not released any further details about why they detained the man and no charges have been laid.

Police are also asking an eyewitness, an RV driver who initially called 911 about the incident, to come forward with any information they might have.