Michael Joel-Hansen
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Saskatchewan RCMP have yet to confirm the identity of the victim of a fatal shooting in the northern village of Pelican Narrows that led to a dangerous person alert being issued on Monday.
At a Tuesday morning media conference, RCMP would only say the deceased is an adult woman and that they are working with the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service to identify her.
It was also confirmed an adult man suffered “serious” injuries. Insp. Ashley St. Germaine, acting officer in charge of the RCMP major crimes branch, declined to provide more information about the man’s injuries, citing privacy concerns.
St. Germaine said two people were shot on the same road at two separate locations a “short distance” from each other. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
No additional information was provided about the suspect, who was arrested at a home in Pelican Narrows, which is part of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), shortly after 7 p.m. Monday night.
RCMP said charges have not yet been laid. St. Germaine said investigators are still processing evidence at “more than one scene,” speaking with witnesses, and looking at surveillance footage. St. Germaine said the investigation is in the preliminary stages.
“We’ll work with our Crown council in order to determine the appropriate charges,” she said.
St. Germaine declined to speak about motive or if the victim and suspect knew each other. She wrapped her opening remarks by asking witnesses to come forward.
“Eyewitness accounts will be key to providing answers to the victims and their families,” she said.
Dangerous person alert
RCMP were called to Pelican Narrows at 1:56 p.m. Monday about a shooting near the Angelique Canada health centre. The shooting did not take place at the clinic as was first reported.
Pelican Narrows RCMP were supported by officers from nearby detachments, including Creighton, Sandy Bay and Deschambault Lake. Local officers were supported by a number of specialized teams from both RCMP and the province.
A dangerous person alert was issued at 2:29 p.m. Residents in Pelican Narrows and 22 surrounding communities were asked to find a safe place and to lock their doors. The alert was cancelled at 8:43 p.m. after the suspect was arrested.
In a media release published on Facebook Monday night, PBCN said the community’s schools will remain closed along with the band office. The health clinic will only be seeing patients with “serious” medical needs for the remainder of the week.
The First Nation is asking membership to stay calm and vigilant. Leadership is also asking members to avoid sharing unverified information online.
“PBCN will continue working with our partners to protect the safety and well-being of Pelican Narrows members,” the statement concluded.
‘This is extremely concerning’
RCMP Chief Supt. Murray Chamberlin said over the last 10 years, violent crime in Pelican Narrows has increased by 49 per cent.
“This is extremely concerning, especially considering the small local population,” he said, adding he did not want to speculate about a specific root cause, but agreed addictions and mental health issues do play a role.
Chamberlin said the RCMP detachment in Pelican Narrows has also been dealing with a shortage of officers. He said they are sending in officers for relief shifts and deploying specialized units to the community.
The RCMP is also looking at a new model for deploying officers. In the fall, the policing organization will implement a new pilot “rotational model” that will see officers work on rotation out of Saskatoon in a number of communities in the northeast.
“They will be centralized out of Pelican Narrows and will maintain policing operations in Deschambault Lake, Sandy Bay and Creighton,” he said.
