Triple killing on minds of many as police negotiated

A frightened silence that gripped Cambridge Bay for several hours ended Wed­nesday afternoon when a standoff between police and a man with a rifle ended with no shots fired.

The man had barricaded himself inside an apartment in the centre of town, causing life to grind to a halt for most of the community's 1,500 residents, who were warned to stay home that morning until it was safe.

Fresh on many minds was the horrific triple-homicide that occurred in Cambridge Bay in January.

"There were a lot of prayers being said," said Karen Wilford, a legal aid lawyer and chair of the district education authority.

The streets were eerily quiet. Schools, the daycare centre, government offices and most businesses stayed closed.

News was relayed that morning through the "tundra telegraph," says resident Vicki Aitaok – shortly after 8:00 a.m., many telephones in the close-knit community were abuzz as residents phoned one another to ensure everyone stayed home.

Police negotiated with the man, who was reportedly drunk and upset from a domestic dispute, and by 3:30 p.m. he surrendered.

Shortly afterwards, most of the community's residents left their homes to cram inside the co-op store and swap stories, Wilford said.

Willie Nakashook, 33, faces charges of uttering threats, pointing a firearm, possession of a firearm while prohibited to do so, careless storage of a firearm, and mischief under $5,000. He is to appear in court in Cambridge Bay June 6, 2007.