Shawn Moostoos was 33 years old at the time of the incident in Sept. 2021. (RCMP)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

JSCN shooting incident committed for trial

Sep 18, 2023 | 2:02 PM

A court case surrounding a shooting incident at James Smith Cree Nation (JSCN) that left two people dead and sent a third person to hospital, has been formally committed for trial.

Shawn Moostoos’s preliminary inquiry hearing wrapped up Friday at provincial court in Melfort. The purpose of the hearing, which was spread out over multiple days, was to hear the strength of the Crown’s case and assess whether the charges laid reflected the actual events.

The September 2021 shooting incident at JSCN prompted RCMP to issue an emergency alert.

A 37-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, both from the community, were killed, and a 44-year-old man was transported to hospital with what was described at the time as serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

Moostoos was arrested the following day in Melfort and stands 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.

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The names of the deceased have not been released, but police confirmed the suspect and the three victims were known to each other.

The trial, to be tried by judge and jury, will be held at Court of King’s Bench in Melfort. As of Monday, no dates had been set.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell