Police charge 2 Iqaluit residents with 1st-degree murder following disturbance
Male victim dies from injuries at Qikiqtani General Hospital
The RCMP cordons off Unit 300-C in lower Iqaluit on Friday afternoon. Police say two Iqaluit residents are facing first-degree murder charges after they found a male victim with life-threatening injuries, who later died in hospital. (Photo by Daron Letts)
One person is dead and two Iqaluit residents face first-degree murder charges after an incident in Lower Iqaluit early Friday morning.
An RCMP officer enters Unit 300-C in lower Iqaluit on Friday afternoon. One man is dead and two Iqaluit residents face first-degree murder charges following an incident early Friday morning. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Police responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence in the city’s 300 block on Friday at 12:05 a.m., the RCMP said in a news release issued by spokesperson Cpl. Ashley Daley on Saturday evening.
They found a male with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to the Qikiqtani General Hospital where he died from his injuries, the release said.
The police have not named the victim nor provided his age or home community.
Police arrested Kendra Amaaq, 24, and Owen Amaaq, 19, both of Iqaluit and charged them with first-degree murder and wearing a disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence.
They appeared before a justice of the peace and were remanded into custody, police said. Their next court appearance is set for May 5 in Iqaluit.
On Friday morning, RCMP used yellow tape to cordon off Unit 300-C on Nipisa Street. Three police vehicles remained on the street throughout the morning and into the afternoon. Blood was visible on the wall of the building and a pool of blood stained the snow at the bottom of the stairs.
The door of the unit remained open until shortly after 3:30 p.m., when two officers wearing police windbreakers entered the building.
Neighbours on the street said they did not see or hear anything late Thursday night or early Friday morning, when asked by Nunatsiaq News on Friday morning.
The RCMP news release said the police would not provide further information because the charges are before the courts.
I hope the blood is removed soon, from the snow. Its disturbing to the public walking by.
Another indigenous man murdered, yet indigenous men are ignored MMIW, such a strange time we live in today.
People do horrible things. These murderers were immediately taken into custody for their crime. Put your outrage towards a support group for missing and murdered indigenous men. Complaining people care about the women (who haven’t even been found yet) is not a flex.
Indigenous men are ignored, when you focus the attention to one group and leave out another that does less overall and it creates division.
MMIW should be missing and murdered indigenous people, inclusive of all indigenous people.
Focusing on one group and leaving another group alone its weaker, we don’t address the true issues, we don’t address the core problems and it’s more of a bandaid solution.
It was probably set up that way in order for this to be less than what it could of been, the divide and conquer works very well.
It’s not a competition. The visibility for murdered indigenous men is immediate. Yes the rates are high and the outrage is warranted. But, Indigenous women are disproportionately victims of disappearance, where the cause, perpetrator, or location is unknown. That creates a different kind of fear and a different kind of public conversation. Be the change you want to see and stop creating divide through this type of comparison. It’s not helpful at all.
Indigenous men go missing too, I agree it’s not a competition and it should not be that way, but you cannot ignore a group based on their gender when the issues are the same.
It just doesn’t not make any sense at all that the focus can be so on one side while completely ignoring the other.
Indigenous men have been going missing too and never to be found. They are no less or invaluable. That is the point here, why is there such a divide on this? Is it the narrative that is trying to be used? I don’t get why it should not be inclusive.
When will this. Violence end? The world is in a dark place. Each life is precious.
Nunavut is being over run. By people harming one another. Please stop
Sending my thoughts to all the families affected by this violent tragedy. I hope you all can one day start healing and find some peace in your lives.
Drugs, alcohol, undiagnosed and untreated mental illnesses ruin so many lives.
May peace be with you all.