The retired RCMP officer killed in Haiti Tuesday probably died as part of a botched kidnap attempt, a United Nations spokesman said Wednesday.

"I don't think they were targeted because they were UN people," said the UN's David Wimhurst. "They were probably targeted because they were travelling down that road -- that very dangerous road -- which is an area where the kidnappers like practising kidnapping."

Wimhurst also told reporters that bullet fragments from Mark Bourque's car will be analyzed in the hopes of finding out more about his killers, described as a group of Haitians who shot at him as he drove through a violent slum.

Bourque was part of a 25-person team of retired officers helping prepare Haitian police for upcoming elections. His body was flown to Toronto Wednesday evening on a Challenger jet.

The Canadian embassy has demanded the Haitian government do everything it can "to shed light on the circumstances of the attack and to bring the authors of this crime to justice."

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew told CTV's Mike Duffy he believes the Haitian government will cooperate. He said the slaying will not change Canada's commitment to Haiti.

"We do believe it is Canada's responsibility to continue to contribute to the United Nations mission," he said Wednesday. "I had discussed that with Mark Bourque and some of his colleagues (before he left)."

When asked if the Canadians in Haiti were bracing for more danger as the Jan. 8 election date draws closer, Pettigrew stressed that they are prepared.

"Obviously we're doing a very good job at the security of our people," he said. "These guys get the best possible training, they have the right equipment, but of course, such things unfortunately happen."

Bourque was driving one of his colleagues to the Port-au-Prince airport in an unmarked rental car when they came under heavy fire. He was shot in the leg and died less than two hours later from his injuries.

His supervisor, Jean Lafaille, said the incident happened without warning, and did not appear to be specifically targeting the married father of two.

Governor General remembers Bourque's dedication

Just before leaving for his mission to Haiti, Bourque told Canada's Haitian-born Governor General he was eager to help make life safer for civilians in that country.

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean met with Bourque's election security team at Rideau Hall in October, just before they set off to Haiti. She remembered the 57-year-old Stoneham, Que. resident for his desire to help a country that has seen more political chaos than stability.

"With a great deal of optimism, he told us of his deep attachment to the Haitian people and expressed his desire to support the democratic and electoral process," Jean said in a statement posted on her website.

"He did, however, inform us that the renewed violence in Port-au-Prince and the increase in the number of armed gangs were among his central concerns," said Jean. "He also found it extremely regrettable that the civilian population should be subject to so much insecurity."

Election trouble brews in Haiti's slums

Port-au-Prince slum Cite Soleil, where Bourque was gunned down, is known for its political tension. Situated on the edge of Port-au-Prince, it is home to many supporters of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the president removed in a Feb. 2004 coup.

Violence has not been uncommon between the area's residents and the members of the UN stabilization force, who are targeted for their support of the unelected interim government.

Members of Arisitide's Fanmi Lavalas party have also been targeted with assassination attempts. Aristide has insisted he was overthrown by emissaries of the United States, while former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell has said Aristide left voluntarily.

Canada sent 25 recently retired officers to Haiti in October following a request from the United Nations Mission for extra help during the election period. They are acting as police technical advisors to the Haitian National Police (HNP), as a link between the HNP and UN forces and will provide emergency response help during the election.

Many of the officers have served in Haiti before, and almost all have been on international missions, according to CANADEM, Canada's Civilian Reserve, which is overseeing the Canadians officers. They joined 100 regular Canadian police officers working with the UN, and are expected to be there for a total of five months.

Haiti has struggled to organize a presidential election because of rampant violence and an unstable infrastructure. The country's constitution requires a new government to take power by Feb. 7, but the organizational difficulties have pushed the election date back four times in five months.

The first round of parliamentary elections is currently scheduled for Jan. 8, 2006, with a runoff to follow on Feb 15. and local elections on March 5.

Haiti's interim set of legislators was chosen by the international community and is headed by Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, an academic who had not lived in Haiti for 15 years before being sworn in.

Latortue, the sworn opponent of Aristide and his Cite Soleil supporters, said he hopes "this tragic death will lead our allies to step up their efforts to eradicate the gang problem."

He called for the UN to conduct a large sweep of the sprawling slum where 200,000 people live, even at the cost of "collateral damage." He has been requesting such an initiative for months.