'In a state of shock': RCMP investigating after human remains found in The Pas, Man.

Police are investigating after human remains were discovered near a post-secondary school in The Pas Tuesday night.

The remains were foundnear the University College of the North bypolice in the northern Manitoba town, according to a Wednesday RCMP news release.

At 7:50 p.m. Tuesday,RCMPfrom The Pas about 520 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg responded to a call about possible human remains located near the campus, the Wednesday release said.

Police confirmed the remains are those of one body, but could not comment onthe cause of death while an autopsy is underway.

"On behalf of the Town of The Pas we would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim,"Mayor Herb Jaques said in an emailed statement.

"We have every confidence in the ability of the RCMP to do their jobs and come to a successful conclusion of this tragic event."

Quiet edge of town

Doug Lauvstad, president of University College of the North, said the southwest corner of campus, near a service road and the intersection ofDufferin Street and Charlebois Avenue, had been cordoned off on Wednesday.

"It's thick willows, shrub bush, a few pine trees in there.It's very dense area," Lauvstad said. Few staff andstudents can be found oncampus at this time of year none of whomhad been reported as missing, he said.

"I think everybody is just sort of in a state of shock kind of wondering what was happening," he said.

Lauvstad did not have any additional details about the findings or who may have found them. He mentioned the local Bear Clan Patrol regularly monitors the area. The volunteer patrol group in The Pasdeclined to comment.

The identity of the remains is unknown at this time.

RCMP said the incident isnot related to the hunt for Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, the two men atthe focus of an intensive search centred around the Gillam area, about 500 kilometres northeast of The Pas. That search came to an end Wednesday when two bodiesbelieved to belong to the suspects werefound in the Gillam search area that morning, police said.

The Pas RCMP along withthe chief medical examiner's office and the force'smajor crimes unit and forensic identification servicescontinue to investigate.