A scary incident unfolded in the area over the weekend. Mark Klippenstein, a Manitoba farmer, shared the distressing experience his cousin had after six armed individuals stormed their family farm early Sunday morning. Six robbers, armed with weapons, were captured on camera as they approached the farm, took keys from a truck in the driveway, and moved toward the shop area, all while holding what appeared to be guns to the door of the house.
He explained his cousin had been sleeping when he heard the driveway alarm go off, thinking it was just a tree or the wind setting the alarm off he ignored it. But then he heard the camera alarms going off and knew something wasn't right. When he looked at the camera, he could see six armed individuals with guns at his door and called the RCMP right away.
"My uncle sent me some videos this morning showing six people getting out of a truck, all armed, and they started walking around the property. They approached the house armed, and as soon as the lights came on scattered. They had their guns pointed at the garage door. Thankfully, they fled before anything escalated."
Klippenstein was particularly shaken by the aggressive nature of the robbery.
"The most concerning part is the guns. If my cousin had stepped outside, he could have been shot," he said, expressing his disbelief at the brazen nature of the crime.
"These people looked to be armed like you’d see in a warzone, not on a farm in Manitoba."
Klippenstein mentioned by the time RCMP arrived, the criminals had already moved on to other properties in the area.
"The response time to me was unacceptable," he stated. "It took over an hour for the RCMP to arrive, and by then, the criminals had already hit other farms. The fact that these individuals feel they can get away with this is terrifying."
While some local farms are increasing their security with cameras and other measures, Klippenstein feels that the situation remains dangerous.
"These people are not deterred by cameras. It's clear that the law isn't doing enough to stop them. They steal our things, and then we have to replace them. This is the third time our farm has been hit in three years. They have gotten away with two service vehicles and a truck."
This incident underscores growing concerns about rural crime in Manitoba, as residents face increasing challenges in protecting their property and livelihoods.