NORTH SPIRIT LAKE – September 6, 2026 – One person is dead and another is in custody after a shooting Friday in North Spirit Lake First Nation, a remote Oji-Cree community about 530 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay.
Nishnawbe Aski Police Service said officers responded to a disturbance shortly after 5 p.m. A male suspect is in custody. Police said there is no known ongoing threat to public safety and that an increased police presence will remain while the investigation continues.
Chief and council said two community members were shot. One person is in stable condition. About 430 people live in the community, which sits about 170 kilometres north of Red Lake.
Elsewhere in the region, 62 wildfires remain active in Northwestern Ontario, and Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week he would raise Highway 17 safety with Premier Doug Ford.
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