'Sorry bro, but I gotta shoot you': Family speaks out after man was shot and robbed north of Prince Albert

The family of a man shot and seriously injured at a jobsite 14 kilometres north of Prince Albert late last week is speaking out.

The morning of Oct. 24, Orlan Peterson was confronted by multiple suspects during a vehicle robbery at a site where he happened to be working that day.

The victim's son, Josh Peterson, said his father remembers being thrown to the ground, where one man held the barrel of a gun to the back of his neck. The suspect then forced Orlan into the jobsite trailer at gunpoint before shooting him. The vehicle Orlan had driven to work that morning was stolen.

Josh says Orlan recalled being spoken to by the shooter.

"The man said to him, 'sorry bro, but I gotta shoot you,'" Josh recounted. "Dad just kind of buried his head and started praying. And thankfully, as it turned out, he was able to kind of turn his body a little bit so he took the shot in the upper left arm.”

“And dad said the next thing he remembers is he didn't lose consciousness, but he thought he got shot in the stomach because of the sheer amount of pain that he was feeling, like his entire body was on fire."

Early in the morning on Oct. 24, Orlan Peterson was working alone on White Star Road, about 14 kilometres north of Prince Albert, when a group of armed suspects entered the property, before shooting him, robbing him and stealing his work truck. (Photo; Josh Peterson)

A Go-Fund-Me campaign started by Peterson family friend Brad Grolla to help with recovery efforts has received almost 800 donations amounting to a total $130,000.

Josh said the family is touched by the outpouring of community support for his father.

"I explained to dad, you know, years ago, if a family needed something, you guys would hold a fundraising dance," said Josh. "This is how that is done nowadays. So you're not asking for support, but you're just putting your story out there."

The 66-year-old grandfather is now recovering at home.

"The specialists are just waiting to see how his body recovers," said Josh. "I don't think he'll ever have shoulder function again. When the doctor told him that, I was a little bit scared about that, but my dad, being the optimistic man that he is, he was like, you know what, doc? That's okay. I'm just happy to be alive."

A Go-Fund-Me campaign started by Peterson family friend Brad Grolla to help with recovery efforts has received almost 800 donations amounting to a total $130,000. (Photo: Josh Peterson)

Josh wants to see those responsible held accountable for what they did to Orlan.

"Dad's survival story is what I call it," said Josh. "Ultimately, I think everyone should know what these cowards did. They had the vehicle, they had his wallet, they had his phone. The didn't need to shoot him and yet they still chose to.

A dangerous persons alert was issued by the RCMP the day of the attack at 9:56 a.m. for suspects in a vehicle robbery and shooting. So far two people have been arrested in relation to the alert and a warrant has been issued for a third suspect.