Saskatchewan RCMP are asking anyone with information about a fatal shooting on Monday in Pelican Narrows to contact police.
“If you saw something or know something about this shooting, please say something,” Insp. Ashley St. Germaine said during a virtual media availability Tuesday morning.
She said that a woman died and a man was taken to hospital with “serious injuries” on Monday afternoon.
The victims were shot at two separate locations on the same road, just a short distance apart from each other, St. Germaine said. Police are working with the coroner’s office to identify the deceased woman, she said.
She confirmed one person is in custody, but charges have not yet been laid as the investigation is ongoing. An active shooter alert was issued Monday afternoon, but ended Monday evening after the person’s arrest.
Pelican Narrows, which is part of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, is about 420 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
St. Germaine said there was a reported shooting near the community’s health clinic shortly before 2 p.m. CST Monday.
Around 2:30 p.m., police issued a dangerous person alert and advised residents to find a safe location and lock their doors while police searched for a suspect who was on foot.
The school was placed on lockdown by school officials as the event unfolded, St. Germaine said. Police helped staff make a plan to get students home safely.
St. Germaine said the suspect was arrested at a residence in the community at 7:07 p.m. One other individual who was detained earlier was released without charges, she said.
Chief Supt. Murray Chamberlin said his thoughts are with everyone affected by the shooting.
“What Pelican Narrows and many communities across Saskatchewan are experiencing in terms of increased violence cannot be fixed overnight,” he said.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. The RCMP is one part of the ongoing conversations with local leadership to find solutions to concerns around violence, addictions and other social issues.”
He said that in the Pelican Narrows RCMP detachment area, violent crime has increased 49 per cent over the last 10 years, which he said is “extremely concerning” given the small local population.
Chamberlin said the RCMP have been working with the community to identify long-term solutions.
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation posted a notice on Facebook Monday night that it was implementing new community safety measures, including:
It said it would be reviewing all the measures again on Monday, June 8.
“PBCN leadership recognizes that today’s events have deeply affected many members, including children, families, frontline health staff, education staff and community workers,” the statement said.
“Support is being co-ordinated for those impacted, including trauma and mental health supports.”
The shooting on Monday came a week and a half after leaders in Pelican Narrows pleaded for help with what they called “ongoing and serious violence” in their community.
On May 21, they banned all private gatherings and prohibited the use of all-terrain vehicles and other off-road vehicles.
Leaders also said they were going to re-establish security checkpoints. Last week, the First Nation announced the checkpoint was operating and would remain in place “until further notice.”
That increase in security measures came after two homicides in the community, including a shooting death on May 21. Jaden Custer, 26, was killed, while Brett McCallum, 31, has been charged with second-degree murder.
On May 13, the remains of 16-year-old Jay’siiah Webb-Long of Ontario were found during a search, more than a year after he travelled to Saskatchewan and then went missing.
