RCMP's fatal shooting of 17-year-old boy 'tearing a hole' in Norway House Cree Nation

The grandparents of a teenager killed by RCMP in a northern Manitoba First Nation say they cannot fathom why police would see the need to use deadly force against the boy they helped raise since he was a toddler .

Elgyn Muskego was shot by RCMP in the early hours of Friday on Norway's House Cree Nation, about 460 kilometers north of Winnipeg. He was 17.

Police say the teen was holding an edged weapon and had not dropped it despite numerous requests to do so. The RCMP say as he got closer to the officers, one of them shot him.

Charles Ettawacappo, Elgyn's grandfather, said there were many other means police could have used to subdue him that would not have led to his grandson's death.

“There [was] two of them, and there's a little boy,” he said. 'Use a stun gun or other means. He was just a little boy. He was 17 years old.”

Elgyn had lived with Ettawacappo and his wife Kathy on and off since he was about 3 years old, Charles said. The couple said their grandson was a loving boy who cared deeply for his siblings and enjoyed ice fishing, ski dooing and being outdoors.

Kathy said the teen struggled with isolation during the pandemic that led to mental health issues and substance use. But his grandparents said he got his life back on track.

He was expected to receive his high school diploma in June, they said.

“My wife is having a really tough time, and I'm having a really tough time,” Charles said. “We didn't think we would lose him so young.”

'He would be here now'

The couple last saw Elgyn before leaving the Norwegian House to visit Charles' sister, Shirley, at the Health Sciences Center of Winnipeg on Thursday.

Kathy Ettawacappo said one of Elgyn's aunts texted her about the shooting minutes after Shirley died.

“She tells me Elgyn was shot by the RCMP. He's in the ambulance. They're resuscitating him,” Kathy said.

“We left the hospital… My sister told me on the phone that he was gone, that my grandson had died.

“I was devastated. This is my son who I raised as my own. It's been so hard without him, without seeing him here. If he were alive, he would be here now, in my house.”

The Norwegian Home RCMP said in a news release issued Friday afternoon that officers responded around 1:45 a.m. to a call from a resident of the community about a teenager who was agitated and armed.

Police said they found the boy outside the home. The release said officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived. The teen was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Independent Investigation Unit has taken over the investigation.

'Making a hole in our community'

On Saturday, some members of the Norwegian House told CBC News their community is angry and frustrated, and many believe the RCMP has gone too far.

“Not only do we become afraid of evil in our community, but we also become afraid of the people who are supposed to protect us from evil in our community,” said Bryan Rowden.

“This really rips a hole in our community and a hole in the hearts of everyone.”

Rowden said Elgyn was his nephew or cousin. He's gotten to know him as a hairdresser over the past four or five years, with the boy coming in occasionally to get his hair cut.

“He was a really great kid. From the moment I talked to him, he seemed very intelligent. He was articulate. He was motivated, but he was going through a lot of mental things,” he said.

“He was going through a difficult time in his life where all he needed was support and help. Instead of getting support and help, he was shot and killed.”

Rowden said Elgyn was small in stature and doesn't understand why he would have posed a threat.

Jonathan Meikle, who knew Elgyn through an adult student program, said his death affects everyone. He believes a community response focused on de-escalation methods could have helped prevent his death.

'A lot of anger. A lot of sadness,” Meikle said. “We need to pull back the lens. Many First Nations are in a constant state of crisis as a result of colonialism.”

This spring, the community held a protest march after officers used a Taser on a teenage boy who was nonverbal and disabled.

According to police, the boy had a knife and threatened to stab a girl. Community members also said at the time that this was not the right response for the situation.

Earlier this month, police announced that a 35-year-old was charged with manslaughter after a 23-year-old woman was found dead in a Norwegian House home.

Rowden said he wonders what can be done for a community that is hurting again.

'They are here to spread fear'

In a statement issued Friday, Norway's House Cree Nation announced it will launch its own investigation into Elgyn's death, and is also considering the possibility of declaring a state of emergency.

“We want to assure the community that we are committed to holding the RCMP publicly accountable for their actions,” the statement said.

“We will take all necessary steps to ensure justice is served and to support the families affected by these tragedies.”

Manitoba's Keewatinowi Okimakanak mobile crisis unit has been deployed to the community, the statement said.

On Wednesday, Manitoba RCMP announced officers will begin wearing body cameras as part of a national program rolling out in the coming months.

Forty-four detachments across the province will receive body cameras over the next five months, including several detachments serving First Nations communities. Steinbach RCMP was the first in the province to start using them on Friday.

Rowden said he would like to see local RCMP wear body cameras. But while he would like to see the relationship between police and community members improve, he says he's not sure that's possible.

“They come in, they leave. They don't get involved in the community. You don't see them teaching kids to ride bikes and doing things like that like you see in other communities… they're not here to give their love and support,” he said.

'They are here to spread fear. They are here to make us afraid of them so we don't hurt them. That's what it feels like.'

Charles Ettawacappo said there are still many unanswered questions about what actually happened the night Elgyn died. He said he would be willing to forgive the RCMP officer who shot his grandson because it would haunt him forever if he didn't.

“There is always forgiveness and we are going to live by that,” Charles said.

“But we will never forget our grandson, our son. We will never forget him, and we will miss him, and my grandchildren are exactly the same.”