The man accused of shooting a female Mountie near Golden, B.C. this week was dead when authorities found him, according to the RCMP.

Sheldon Thunderblanket was located during an intense manhunt outside Revelstoke Wednesday, one day after he allegedly shot an officer, stole a vehicle on Highway 1 and fled from authorities.

"He was found deceased. A positive confirmation of identification and the exact cause of death is now the subject of a full investigation by the [coroner]," Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said in a statement.

The provincial police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., is also probing whether there's a connection between Thunderblanket's death and officers' actions.

Mounties didn't confirm the 40-year-old suspect was dead until hours after he was found. Moskaluk blamed the delay on the process of notifying next of kin and advising partner police agencies of the development.

Earlier in the day, the RCMP revealed Thunderblanket was also wanted in connection with a murder and an attempted murder committed on a Saskatchewan reserve over the weekend.

One person was found dead after a shooting at a home on the Little Pine First Nation, and another was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The B.C. manhunt started on Tuesday after officers stopped Thunderblanket's vehicle near the weigh scales on the TransCanada Highway west of Golden.

The suspect allegedly refused to comply with directions, leading to a confrontation during which he allegedly shot a female officer in the arm. She suffered a non-life threatening injury.

The suspect then stopped an SUV, forced the people inside to leave at gunpoint, and fled the area, according to police.

The incident forced the closure of part of the highway for hours, and made for some tense moments for the people trapped in the traffic.

Witness Ken Lehmann said at one point, heavily armed police came and told everyone to exit their vehicles and take cover beside the roadway.

"[They said] we need you to get on the other side over your vehicles down over the bank because this idiot is coming back and we don't want you in the way of gunfire," Lehmann said.

The stolen vehicle was found Tuesday night near Revelstoke, which is where Mounties focused their search throughout the night and Wednesday.

RCMP members from Traffic Services, the Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services all scoured the area.

Thunderblanket had been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, breach of undertaking, mischief and assault.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Sheila Scott and Kent Molgat