The cap. Jennifer Casey has been identified as the deceased victim. He was a public affairs officer of the team, according to a press release from the Canadian National Defense Armed Forces.
“We send our condolences to Captain Jenn Casey’s family, we know it has been a source of inspiration for many and we will miss it,” said General Jonathan Vance, chief of staff of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Captain Richard MacDougall, the plane’s pilot, was injured in the accident and is being treated for his injuries, the Canadian military release said.
Snowbirds are similar to the United States Blue Angels
The Snowbirds perform air shows for the Canadian public, similar to the American Navy Blue Angels.
“Canadians view the Snowbirds as a source of joy and a display of the incredible exploits that our people in uniform are capable of,” said Harjit S. Sajjan, national defense minister. “The INSPIRATION operation was intended to raise the spirit of Canadians in this difficult time and the Snowbirds have accomplished their mission. I know that all Canadians suffer from this tragic loss.”
The RCMP and other security and regulatory authorities are investigating what may have caused the accident.
“This was a tragic scene that had a huge response from emergency vehicles, not something you would expect to expect in the middle of a long weekend in Kamloops,” said city mayor Ken Christian.
The military has indicated that they are sending an investigation team to Kamloops, said Christian.
“In the meantime, the” Birds “are rooted here in Kamloops,” he added, adding that he spoke on the phone with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Defense Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan.
Anyone who has been able to film the incident is invited to contact Kamloops RCMP.
CNN’s Hollie Silverman, Deanna Hackney and Laura James contributed to this report.
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