NCN warns parents kids shouldn’t be ‘running around terrorizing’ the community

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A 13-year-old boy struck by a bullet in his bedroom was the victim of a “targeted” shooting over the weekend, in a community that continues to grapple with violence, fears of dangerous weapons and youth crime.

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According to RCMP, around 2:25 a.m. on Saturday morning, they got a call about someone being shot inside a home on the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN).

According to police, shots were fired at the house from outside, and bullets passed through a wall in the living room and into the victim’s bedroom where he was struck while lying on his bed, while five other people who were in the home at the time, including three other youth, were not injured.

The boy was transported to a Winnipeg hospital with injuries described as life-threatening and was updated to stable condition after treatment.

Police said the residence was targeted and that there is no threat to public safety in the community.

A 15-year-old male was arrested and has been charged with discharge firearm while being reckless, aggravated assault, possess weapon for a dangerous purpose and possess firearm without a licence. He is in custody.

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In a notice on their Facebook page on Monday, NCN said the shooting was believed to be a “gang-related” incident, and that the boy was shot in the stomach by one of two bullets that entered the home.

The community also released an impassioned plea to residents on Monday, as they continue to deal with violence and gang-related crime.

“This is totally and completely unacceptable,” NCN said. “Our citizens have the right to live in peace and harmony. Our citizens have the right to feel safe at all times and not be waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of gunshots.

“It is unacceptable that our NCN citizens are living in fear, waking up to the sound of gunfire.”

The community also has a message for parents, guardians and gun owners in the community, as they continue to grapple with youth crime and violence, as a youth turf war brews.

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“Parents/Guardians, you are responsible for your children,” the post reads. “At this time of year, they should be out on the land hunting, not running around terrorizing the community and being territorial over certain areas. Be aware of your children’s whereabouts and activities at all times.

“Gun owners; please keep your guns locked up safely to prevent theft and to ensure that your guns do not fall into the wrong hands.”

Violence crime isn’t new in NCN, a remote First Nations community, located more than 850 kilometres north of Winnipeg, as leaders there have been raising red flags for months about issues related to violence and weapons, as well as continued struggles with addictions and mental health issues.

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NCN Chief Angela Levasseur said in August that the more than 3,500 people who live in NCN were at the time living in fear of being attacked with machetes because of the prevalence of the dangerous weapons in the community. She said there were two machete attacks in the community over the summer, including one where a woman was attacked and another where a man was severely injured and required nearly 50 staples to close his wounds.

NCN said they are trying to keep weapons out of the community.

“Many times, weapons such as bear spray, machetes, knives and guns are confiscated at the check-stop by our First Nations Safety Officers. Many more people would have been seriously injured and/or killed if not for the work of our NCN law enforcement that put their lives on the line every day to keep everyone safe,” the post reads.

Levasseur and NCN Deputy Chief Marcel Moody weren’t available for comment on Tuesday.

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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