Screams and loud sobbing echoed the courtroom moments after Gerald Stanley was found not guilty of killing Colten Boushie.
The Biggar area farmer had been on trial the past two weeks at the Court of Queens Bench in Battleford.
Colten Boushie was shot in the head at Stanley’s rural farm in 2016.
The jury of 12 people deliberated for over 15 hours before coming to their decision late into Friday evening
In the courtroom moments before the decision was given an anxious atmosphere filled the room. After the verdict was given chaos broke out.
“My son, my son,” yelled Colten Boushie’s mother Debbie Baptiste.
Many other family members were crying inconsolably for several minutes.
The jury and Gerald Stanley were rushed out of the courtroom immediately after the verdict.
“My nephew has been denied justice,” said Colten Boushie’s uncle Alvin Baptiste moments later. “This is not right.”
Baptiste also called on the nation to improve justice for Indigenous people.
The response across the province and country was immediate and widespread.
Prime Minister Just Trudeau weighs in on the verdict as well saying he has spoken to the Justice Minister in the matter .
“I can’t imagine the grief and sorrow the Boushie family is feeling tonight,” wrote the Prime Minister in a tweet.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations was deeply disappointed in the verdict.
“This verdict shows there is NO justice for Colten Boushie,” read a tweet from the organization.
FSIN Vice-Chief Kimberley Jonathan told reporters the verdict was a continuation of the “atrocities” faced by Indigenous people. Jonathan also called on Indigenous people across the province to remain peaceful in the wake of this verdict.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe encouraged people to be mindful of their actions and comments in their reactions to the trial.
NDP opposition leader Nicole Sarauer also released a statement.
“Like many of you my heart continues to break for Colten Boushie’s family,” the statement read. “We must recommit ourselves to the difficult and necessary work of continuing down the long path toward reconciliation”
AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde weighed in on the verdict as well.
“Justice was not found in the Court of Queens Bench in North Battleford today,” Chief Bellegarde wrote in a tweet. “We will never give up on justice for First Nations in Saskatchewan or anywhere else in Canada.”
Colten Boushie’s cousin Jade Tootoosis and a consistent spokesperson for the family remained determined.
“We will not stop in our pursuit of justice for Colten,” she said.
Chris Murphy, the Boushie family lawyer says he plans to take this case to parliament hill as an example of Indigenous injustice.
“I ask you to try and understand the nearly bottomless disappointment,” said Murphy .
Defence lawyer Scott Spencer and members of the Stanley family did not provide comment to the media .