Police have confirmed that the blast that killed a young Alberta mother was caused by a package delivered to her home.
RCMP said Saturday that a hand-delivered package was the source of a deadly explosion that tore through an apartment in Innisfail, a community about 118 kilometres north of Calgary.
Friends have identified the victim as Victoria Shachtay, a 23-year-old mother who used a wheelchair after being paralyzed in a car crash.
Shachtay's aide, a 30-year-old woman, was in the residence at the time but escaped serious injury, police said.
Her six-year-old daughter was reportedly not home at the time of the blast.
RCMP Cpl. Warren Wright said Shachtay's death has devastated the tight-knit central Alberta community.
"This type of thing doesn't happen in this greater area," he said. "This is something that would happen somewhere else…it doesn't happen in Innisfail, Alberta."
Investigators from across the country -- including explosive experts from Ottawa -- spent Saturday combing through Shachtay's apartment for clues.
As officers continue searching for evidence, a spokesperson for Shachtay's family said friends and relatives are struggling to come to grips with her death.
"(They are) deeply, deeply mourning and they can't get their heads around what's gone on, what's taken place," Pastor Dave Wiebe told CTV Edmonton.
Police have cordoned off several square blocks around Shachtay's townhouse.
Meanwhile, Innisfail residents are being warned to be cautious about any unexpected deliveries.
"We are wanting the public to be aware and be mindful of any unanticipated delivery of any packages," said RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb.
Resident Diane Phillips said both the death and the subsequent precautions have spooked her.
"It's scary, I was petrified," she said. "I couldn't hardly sleep all night."
With files from CTV Edmonton's Kevin Green
