Four deaths on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation in southern Saskatchewan are being treated as homicides, RCMP said Wednesday.
RCMP Inspector Ashley St. Germaine told a Regina news conference the initial investigation suggests the home east of Regina where the people were found Tuesday was targeted.
The dead are two men and two women, but they haven91裸聊视频檛 been formally identified, she said.
Police are providing updates to the families of the victims and connecting them with support, she said.
91裸聊视频淲e know that when these unimaginable tragedies happen, it can be easy to speculate and spread rumors, particularly in this age of social media,91裸聊视频 St. Germaine told reporters.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檇 like to remind the public that the families of the victims have suffered an incredible loss, and I ask you to be mindful of the grief that they91裸聊视频檙e experiencing.91裸聊视频
After the bodies were found, Mounties had said they received reports of a man pointing a gun at people at Zagime Anishinabek, about 95 kilometres from Carry the Kettle.
The 29-year-old suspect in the gun-pointing was arrested at a Regina home earlier Wednesday.
Keagan Panipekeesick has been charged with firearms charges, but police have not confirmed a connection to the Carry the Kettle slayings. Two other people were also arrested at that residence.
91裸聊视频淲e know when tragedies such as these homicides occur, there is a lot of fear and alarm felt in the communities,91裸聊视频 St. Germaine said.
91裸聊视频淲e want to assure residents that, at this time, we do not believe there91裸聊视频檚 an elevated risk to public safety in relation to these incidents.91裸聊视频
St. Germaine said she91裸聊视频檚 encouraging people with information to come forward to determine who may have been responsible for the deaths.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a tragedy at the end of the day,91裸聊视频 she said.
91裸聊视频淚t impacts the communities, the families, the province, the police officers. There91裸聊视频檚 just so many people impacted by it on an extremely large scale.91裸聊视频
Meanwhile, the chief of Carry the Kettle said security is in full force and its community hall is open for people to visit, pray and smudge.
Chief Scott Eashappie could not be reached Wednesday but said on social media there will be a four-day healing fire on the reserve to honour the dead.
91裸聊视频淚 want to send a special thanks to all those that have come to sit with us last night, prayed for us, the calls (and) messages,91裸聊视频 Eashappie wrote.
91裸聊视频淭o my other family nations, we appreciate all the reach-outs, support and most importantly, the love we have felt in the last 24 hours.91裸聊视频
In another social media post, Chief Lynn Acoose of Zagime said members of her First Nation were sending condolences to those at Carry the Kettle.
91裸聊视频淲e hope that justice prevails for the people who lost their lives to this senseless violence,91裸聊视频 she said.