After a day-long search for the person responsible for a fatal shooting on Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, the RCMP says the suspect died in the presence of officers around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
In a news release issued Tuesday night, the RCMP stated they located a 59-year-old man who they believe took the life of a 56-year-old man around 10 a.m. after gunshots were fired near Ahtahkakoop’s heath centre.
Throughout the day officers from Big River, Prince Albert and Spiritwood RCMP Detachments. RCMP Police Dog Services, Emergency Response Team, Major Crime Unit North and Forensic Identification section were on the First Nation, which is about 100 kilometres west of Prince Albert. The RCMP asked residents to stay in their homes until the situation was deemed safe.
Officers had been seeking a man who had been dressed in camouflage and was seen fleeing the area on an all-terrain vehicle at the time of shooting. They have yet to verify if that man was the suspect.
By 5 p.m., officers had found the only suspect in the shooting, a man who has not yet been identified publicly by the RCMP. The RCMP news release states “while RCMP police officers were on scene a firearm was discharged and the male was transported to Shellbrook Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. RCMP Officers did not discharge their weapons.”
At this time, the RCMP is not releasing the identity of the victim.
The RCMP says it will be handing over the investigation of the circumstances surrounding the firearm’s discharge to Saskatoon Police Service, at the RCMP’s request. The results will be provided to the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General. These steps are intended to provide transparency to the process.