Sask. resident thankful for RCMP emergency alert despite initial confusion
A man who lives on a Saskatchewan First Nation says he’s thankful to have received a safety alert about an incident 100 kilometres away.
Peter Sutherland, who lives on One Arrow First Nation, received an emergency alert about a shooting in James Smith Cree Nation on Sunday. The alert was sent out across much of central Saskatchewan.
“First of all, I got kind of scared because it just said ‘community’ and I tried to click on the link,” explained Sutherland.
For many, the initial alert didn’t specify a community. It began with “avoid the community” and to shelter in place, lock your doors and stay away from windows.
“Just to be safe, I thought I’d better stay indoors for the safety of my community,” he said.
A second alert clarified that the incident was a shooting on James Smith Cree Nation.
While the alert initially caused fear and confusion, Sutherland said he’s thankful for the emergency alert system.
“I myself, living on a First Nation, appreciated the message because we travel between the First Nations and we have relatives all over we visit. If one person from our First Nation was on the way to go visit, we’d want to know.”
In a prepared statement, the Saskatchewan RCMP said the location was provided in multiple ways, including on the SaskAlert website.
"However, it was identified the location was not entered in the specific text message area. The Saskatchewan RCMP issued an updated alert, including location information in the text message area," it said.
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency spokesperson Christopher Clemett said the SaskAlert app is meant to provide critical information about emergencies in real time, so people can take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.
“In Saskatchewan, alerts are issued by Environment Canada, Saskatchewan ministries, Crowns and agencies, the RCMP and participating local governing jurisdictions (including municipalities and First Nation communities),” Clemett said in an emailed statement.
Emergency alerts will be sent out again when something changes, he said.
The Saskatoon Police Service issued a media release Sunday night, saying its communications centre received multiple calls about the alert. It said RCMP sent the alert regarding an incident north of Melfort and that there was no relation to Saskatoon.
The shooting on James Smith Cree Nation left two people dead and one injured.
Shawn Moostoos, who was arrested the next day at a home in Melfort, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of discharging a firearm with intent to endanger life.
RCMP called off the emergency alert prior to the arrest of Moostoos, based on new information that he knew the victims.
RCMP say the shooting occurred at 7:19 p.m. Sunday, while the initial alert was sent out at 8:46 p.m. It was updated to include the location at 9:11 p.m.
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Email us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.