German tourist shot in the head now listed in stable condition

The condition of a German tourist shot in the head while driving with his family on Highway 1A west of Calgary continues to improve and he is now listed in stable condition, according to RCMP.

The 60-year-old man had been listed in critical condition in hospital since the Aug. 2 shooting and he has undergone successful surgery.

The man was driving a Dodge Durango on Highway 1A near Morley about 55 kilometres west of Calgary with his wife, son and son's girlfriend inside when he was struck by a bullet, causing the SUV to veer off the road and crash into a stand of trees.

• Man arrested in shooting of German tourist near Calgary released without charge
• German tourist shot in head while driving family west of Calgary

The three others suffered minor injuries and the man was flown to hospital in Calgary by STARS Air Ambulance.

A GoFundMe account was created to support the family, which had raised more than $11,000 by Tuesday afternoon, exceeding the initial goal of $8,500.

Hubertus Liebrecht, who started the campaign, explained in an update that the victim had a credit card to cover the family's vacationand it was frozen after his wife entered the wrong PIN several times.

He wrote the immediate response of cash and words of support has left the family feeling that they're not alone in dealing with the incident.

Police said a small black sedan was seen in the area at the time of the shooting and a man was arrested at a home in Cochrane in connection to the case on Aug. 3.

A four-door, Chrysler Sebring was also seized by police from the same residence.

Police released the man without charge the next day, however, and said the investigation will continue.

"We know how much the public is interested, and wanting an update on this terrible incident, but we are mindful of not compromising our investigation" said Insp. Lauren Weare in an emailed statement at the time.

"A solid investigation which will stand the tests of the court is methodical and takes time. We thank the public for their patience while our members focus on their tasks."

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