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North

Police charge youth with murder in death that shook Fort Smith

Youth scheduled to appear in court Monday

CBC News

Posted: April 21, 2022
Last Updated: April 21, 2022

Field Street at the corner of Calder Avenue in Fort Smith, N.W.T., was closed by police on March 4 as they searched for a suspect. (Submitted)

A person under 18 has been charged with second degree murder following a death that led to a three-day manhunt in Fort Smith, N.W.T., in March. 

RCMP announced the charge in a news release Thursday, without naming the offender, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. 

Prosecutors confirmed it was the same youth who was previously charged with careless use of a firearm related to shots fired at a home, and with breaking and entering at a government office and a local residence. 

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On March 4, people in Fort Smith woke to news of a suspicious death and reports of shots fired, as well as a series of break-ins. By mid-morning, RCMP issued a shelter-in-place order, warning that a suspect was still at large.

The suspect wasn't arrested until the following Sunday, March 6, leaving the community of about 2,500 on edge. 

"This incident has shaken the sense of safety in the community," RCMP Insp. Barry LaRocque said at the time. 

The youth is scheduled to appear in N.W.T. Youth Justice Court on Monday.

with files from Hilary Bird