Bio 

Derek Jensen was a 21-year-old man from Alberta, Canada. Reports described him as an avid hunter and skeet shooter who had recently completed training as a paramedic. Jensen had previously been in a relationship with Tabitha Stepple. The couple had separated shortly before the killings, although reports stated they had still been living together around the time of the breakup. Police later described the case as having a domestic violence and “jilted-boyfriend” motive. Authorities also said there had been no prior domestic violence reports involving Jensen and Stepple.

On the night of December 14, 2011, Jensen encountered Stepple at a pub in Lethbridge, Alberta. She was with Shayna Conway, Tanner Craswell, and Mitch MacLean. Craswell and MacLean were baseball players from Prince Edward Island who were in Alberta to play for the Lethbridge Bulls. They were preparing to travel home for Christmas.

Witnesses later described Jensen as upset after seeing Stepple with the group. After the confrontation, Stepple, Conway, Craswell, and MacLean left Lethbridge and began driving north toward Calgary so the two men could catch a flight home.

Murder Story

In the early morning hours of December 15, 2011, Shayna Conway was driving Tabitha Stepple, Tanner Craswell, and Mitch MacLean toward Calgary International Airport. The group had stopped at a 7-Eleven in Claresholm, Alberta, before continuing north on Highway 2.

Derek Jensen saw the group at the convenience store and began following their vehicle. Police later said there was no confrontation at the store. Jensen was driving a Pontiac Sunfire and had three loaded, registered firearms with him: a handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle.

About 1.5 kilometres north of Claresholm, Jensen rammed his car into the rear of the SUV carrying the victims. Conway stopped the vehicle and got out, apparently to check what had happened. Jensen then shot her multiple times with a handgun. Conway survived and later helped investigators reconstruct the attack.

Jensen then approached the SUV and fired several rounds into the vehicle. Tabitha Stepple and Tanner Craswell were killed where they sat. Mitch MacLean was also shot but managed to escape from the vehicle and crawl into a nearby ditch. He later died from his injuries while being transported for medical care.

After shooting the victims, Jensen turned the gun on himself and died at the scene. Police recovered the handgun used in the shootings, along with additional loaded firearms in Jensen’s vehicle. Another rifle and ammunition were later found at his home in Lethbridge.

The victims were later identified as 21-year-old Tabitha Stepple, 22-year-old Tanner Craswell, and 20-year-old Mitch MacLean. Shayna Conway, also 21, was the sole survivor. She was hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds but survived.

The case devastated communities in Alberta and Prince Edward Island. Craswell and MacLean were remembered as promising baseball players and close friends. Memorials and tributes were held in their honor, including a baseball-themed service and a game of catch at their former school in Charlottetown.