( CNN ) -- A Canadian border officer who was gunned down in her booth by a passing motorist , who soon after apparently committed suicide , is in stable condition , authorities said Wednesday . `` Our thoughts and prayers go out to the officer and her family , '' Vic Toews , minister of public safety , told reporters in Ottawa . The shooting occurred Tuesday at a border crossing across from Blaine , Washington , from where the motorist had been traveling , authorities said . The border guard was airlifted to a nearby hospital , and the man who shot her was pronounced dead at the scene , apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound , said Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl . Bert Paquet . The shooter was driving into Canada in a car with Washington state plates , he said . The man 's identity is not yet clear , and authorities closed the border crossing immediately after the incident . The shooting occurred at the Peace Arch crossing in British Columbia , which is also known as the Douglas crossing . Canadian authorities are asking motorists to use another area crossing , said Faith St. John with the Canada Border Services Agency . The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating . Dave Noble told CNN affiliate CTV that he saw a chaotic scene when he arrived at the crossing Tuesday . About a dozen border guards with guns drawn encircled a white van . `` They had it surrounded . ... You knew something had gone down , '' he said . `` It 's very shocking . I feel terrible for the border guard . I come here quite a bit , and do n't know any of them personally ... but there are some really nice people that work here . '' Authorities told Lisa Kennedy that she and her family would be waiting for a while . She saw all the ambulances and police cars pull up to the scene , where the van 's doors were opened . `` They said , 'Hold on , you guys are going to be here for a long time . We 've had an injury , a fairly serious one , ' `` Kennedy told CTV . Jagdar Randhawa said he heard the gunfire . `` All of sudden , I hear two shots , '' he said Tuesday . `` Then we wait for a while . We 're still waiting for a long time . '' About 60 vehicles were stranded on the Canadian side of the border .
The shooting occurred at a border crossing across from Blaine , Washington . The border officer was airlifted to a nearby hospital . The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating .