A 17-year-old La Loche boy is facing four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder after a shooting on Friday that claimed the lives of two teachers and two siblings in the Northwest Saskatchewan community.
Seven others were wounded.
On Saturday, the premier outlined how the government plans to help the community heal. The premier and several key cabinet ministers will be flying to La Loche on Sunday to meet with community officials, local Indian Bands and others who are struggling to come to terms with what the deadly shooting.
Brad Wall says he was shocked when he heard the news, but he is gratified by all those who have reached out including the Prime minister, other premiers, and even the U.S. ambassador to Canada. He says the prayers of Saskatchewan and beyond are with the people of La Loche.
“You know, Saskatchewan has a great tradition, her people care for each other, they help each other out, they are very compassionate, he says. “If you will, those are sort of the arms of Saskatchewan and they are outreached right now they are stretched out to the people of La Loche to bare them up through this.”
Assistant commissioner of the Saskatchewan RCMP, Brenda Butterworth-Carr, joined the premier at his news conference at the Saskatchewan legislature. She says the local RCMP detachment did exactly what it was supposed to during a very difficult time.
She says there were two shooting scenes, one at a home, the other at the high school. Mounties also had to deal with the active shooter who was still on the loose at the school. The boy was arrested without injury.
Butterworth-Carr says RCMP members are to be commended for how they performed.
“You know the employees there are very ingrained in the community, they know the families, they know the kids, they have a very good relationship so it’s very trying for them,” she says.
“I just want to comment with respect to their response, it was immediate, they are extremely well trained. They did exactly what was expected of them and you know I am very proud of them.”
The four people killed have been identified as brothers 17-year-old Dayne Fontaine and 13-year-old Drayden Fontaine. They were shot in a home on Dene Crescent.
Two teachers at the La Loche school were also killed. They have been identified as 25-year-old Adam Wood of Oxbridge Ontario and 21-year-old Marie Janvier of La Loche.
Four of the seven injured were airlifted to Royal University hospital in Saskatoon on Friday. Three others remain at the community health centre, but will also be moved to Saskatoon as soon as the weather permits.
The alleged 17-year-old shooter will make his first court appearance next week.