BLAINE - The Canada Border Services Agency officer injured in a shooting took her first steps Thursday, Oct. 18, while investigators spent their time trying to determine a motive.

Officer Lori Bowcock has been in a Vancouver, B.C, hospital since being shot in the neck by a motorist at the Peace Arch border crossing entrance into Canada Tuesday, Oct. 16.

Speaking to reporters Thursday evening, a CBSA official called her survival "a miracle." The bullet missed every major artery, said Kim Scoville, executive director of the agency's Pacific region.

He said the trauma surgeon who worked on Bowcock said she was the "luckiest unlucky person" he had met.

Andrew Michael Crews, 32, drove a white Ford van to the Canadian border just before 2 p.m. Tuesday. He pulled up to the booth where Bowcock was checking motorists headed north.

Authorities haven't released details of what transpired, but Scoville said it was a very short time between when Crews pulled up and when Bowcock was shot. Several seconds later, as other border officers rushed to help, Crews shot himself and died at the scene.

Bowcock's family said she is expected to make a full recovery.

The Peace Arch crossing was shut down after the shooting. The southbound lanes into the U.S. reopened Wednesday afternoon; the northbound lanes into Canada reopened Thursday morning.

Crews was a tattoo artist from the Seattle area. His stepfather, Danny Lupinek of Henderson, Nev., said Wednesday that Crews texted his mother hours before the shooting to say he loved her - and was sorry.

Lupinek said Crews didn't explain what he meant in his text, and the family was unable to reach him after that. He said Crews had given no indication he was upset or headed to Canada.

Canadian investigators are focusing on motive, Scoville said Thursday. They have no evidence so far to say Bowcock was deliberately targeted.

Bowcock's family issued a statement Thursday thanking the fellow border officers and medics who rushed to her aid after the shooting, as well as hospital staff in Vancouver and all the people who have sent flowers, cards and letters of support.

"Lori has always wanted a career in law enforcement and public safety," according to the statement. "After years of working as a 911 operator in London, Ontario, she decided to pursue a career as a Border Services Officer. She was thrilled to be assigned to the Port of Douglas (Peace Arch crossing) in July 2012 with the feeling that she was pursuing her dream career. She has been welcomed by her colleagues and loves her job."

Bowcock had recently graduated from the academy for border officers but was not armed Tuesday because she had yet to finish the required weapons training. Scoville said Bowcock still plans to finish the training and hopes to return to the line of duty.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach ZOE FRALEY at zoe.fraley@bellinghamherald.com or call 756-2803.