Saskatchewan RCMP says the deaths of four people on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation Tuesday is being investigated as a quadruple homicide, and that the victims may have been targeted.
During a news conference Wednesday at RCMP F Division in Regina, police identified the victims as two men and two women, but did not release any names as work continues to formally identify them. Police said the victims were found in a home on the First Nation.
RCMP also said that 29-year-old Keagan Panipekeesick, who was arrested by Regina police early Wednesday morning at a home on Mathieu Crescent, has been charged with one count of pointing a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm, in relation to an incident Tuesday afternoon on Zagime Anishinabek.
Panipekeesick is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on those charges on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
According to RCMP, investigators are still working to determine if Panipekeesick and the firearm pointing incident is connected to the homicides.
“At this time, investigators are examining into whether the firearm pointing incident and the homicides are connected. We are unable to confirm a link at this time,” the service said in the update.
Police also said two other people were taken into custody at the home on Mathieu Crescent but did not release their names.
RCMP said officers are currently investigating to determine if the two were also involved in the firearms incident on Zagime Anishinabek.
RCMP added that if an imminent risk to public safety is identified, the public will be notified, adding that may include issuing an emergency alert if it is believed a suspect or suspects are at large.
The four victims were discovered on Tuesday after File Hills Police Service were called to investigate “sudden deaths” at home in the community around 11:15 a.m.
Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation Chief Scott Eashappie said in a Facebook post that a break and enter and homicide had occurred on the north side of the reserve.
Senior investigative officer with Saskatchewan RCMP’s Major Crimes Branch, Insp. Ashley St. Germaine, said that discussions were held throughout the day Tuesday on whether a dangerous person alert would be issued or not.
“We considered all of the information as it was received and decided whether to issue an alert with the information we knew at that time. Based on how the incident on Zagime [Anishinabek] evolved yesterday we did not proceed with issuing an alert,” St. Germaine said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, investigators did not have information leading them to believe any suspects are still at large.
“The investigation is still ongoing. We don’t have any reason to believe that there is a level of danger to the public at this point, and we do believe that it was a targeted residence. So we’re working towards forwarding that investigation,” St. Germaine said.
According to St. Germaine, it cannot be confirmed at this time if the incidents were gang or drug related, adding that is part of the ongoing investigation.
St. Germaine also commented on the rarity of a quadruple homicide investigation, noting that it is a tragedy that leaves a deep impact on many.
“I think you know it doesn’t happen every year, every month, but every time it does happen, it impacts everybody,” she said. “It impacts the communities, the families, the province, the police officers, there’s just so many people impacted by it on an extremely large scale. And I think that Saskatchewan, with the incidents that it has experienced, has shown resilience, but they are impacted by these every time it does happen, regardless of how frequent or infrequent it is.”
Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation and Zagime Anishinabek are located approximately 100 kilometres and 140 kilometres east of Regina respectively. Police remain present in both communities.
-With files from Caitlin Brezinski and David Prisciak.
