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Lori Bowcock, Shot Border Guard, Recovering In Hospital

EXCLUSIVE: Shot Border Guard Recovering

UPDATE: The shooter has been identified as Andrew Michael Crews, 32, a tattoo artist from Seattle.

Lori Bowcock, who was shot in the neck while on duty as a Canadian border guard, is recovering from surgery.

Bowcock, who is in her 20s, was working at the Peace Arch crossing between Surrey, B.C. and Blaine, Wash. on Tuesday afternoon when she was shot by a lone gunman trying to enter into Canada. He was driving a white van with Washington state licence plates.

The suspect then shot and killed himself. The crossing was closed for several hours as police investigated what led to the attempted murder and suicide.

A family friend told The Huffington Post B.C. that the bullet passed through Bowcock's neck into her shoulder. Late Tuesday night, officials said Bowcock was in stable condition in hospital.

Less than a year ago, Bowcock moved to B.C. from Ontario, where she was a 911 operator, to work for the Canadian Border Services Agency.

A meeting agenda for the police services board in Ontario's Middlesex Centre in May noted that Bowcock, an auxiliary constable, was leaving the unit and its provincial communication centre to work with the CBSA in B.C.

Luc Portelance, president of the CBSA, issued a statement Tuesday night saying his "thoughts are with the officer and her family during this difficult time."

"This is a profound reminder of the risks that border services officers assume every day. I know that the courage and dedication of our officers are second to none," said Portelance.

The Peace Arch, officially called the Douglas crossing, is about 40 kilometres south of Vancouver. It's the third-busiest border point between Canada and the U.S.

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