(submitted photo)

By Nigel Maxwell

Crime

14-year-old boy, 49-year-old man dead in Candle Lake shooting tragedy

Sep 14, 2020 | 3:14 PM

A 14-year-old boy was shot to death last weekend in the Village of Candle Lake and family members claim it was the result of foul play. The suspect later took his own life.

Ashley Armstrong spoke to paNOW on behalf of the family regarding the death of her nephew, Chase Althouse.

She said shots were fired after her sister’s boyfriend arrived at a residence intoxicated.

Armstrong alleged the man, Troy Thompson, assaulted her sister, and produced a gun. She said those who were at the home fought to get the gun from him. During the skirmish the gun was fired at least twice, Armstrong said. The gun eventually jammed.

“We would have lost everybody,” Armstrong said.

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Armstrong said Thompson left in his truck and one of the men at the home followed to make sure Thompson didn’t return. When the scene cleared, Chase was found on the floor with two bullet wounds.

“They performed CPR for over an hour,” Armstrong said.

RCMP confirmed around 10 p.m. Saturday night, they received a 911 report of a male who had been shot inside a residence located on Industrial Drive in Candle Lake.

Althouse was declared deceased on scene by EMS.

The three occupants involved in the altercation with Thompson sustained minor injuries. All were escorted to a safe location and the scene was secured for investigation. The gun was also seized by police.

After further investigation, officers believed Thompson, 49, was at another residence located on Steen Place in in Candle Lake. The Saskatchewan RCMP Emergency Response Team along with Saskatchewan RCMP Police Dog Services, Saskatchewan Conservation Officers and the Saskatoon Police Service aircraft all responded to the scene.

At approximately 6 a.m. Sunday morning Thompson was located deceased inside the residence with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police say. There were no other occupants in the residence.

Autopsies are being conducted by the Saskatchewan Corner’s Service today.

The family is now receiving support through victim services and while messages of support have also been pouring in though Facebook, Armstrong said the family is requesting privacy during this difficult time.

Chase Althouse. (submitted photo/Ashley Armstrong)

The victim

Chase Althouse was a student at Meath Park school, and described by Armstrong as the most loving, caring child with a love for animals.

“He went to a farm last weekend and they had a whole bunch of farm cats and my sister was on her way home and here appears this kitten out of his bunny hug,” Armstrong said.

Althouse also had a passion for dirt biking, and played both soccer and basketball at his school.

“He had a heart for everybody and just a kid everybody liked,” Armstrong said.

In an effort to help the family with funeral expenses a gofundme account has been created. Matthew Gray is the Principal at Meath Park school and confirmed for paNOW the school community has been impacted by the tragic event in Candle Lake.

“The Sask Rivers Public School Division has deployed a response team to provide the necessary supports for as long as necessary and we will not be providing any further information at this time,” he said

On Sunday, a post was made to the Candle Lake Facebook page, informing residents they were not in danger.

“We are all shocked and we are a small community, particularly at this time of the year, so it has an impact on a lot of the people that are here,” Mayor Terry Kostyna told paNOW on Monday.

Kostyna added supports are now being provided for anyone who needs them.

“Anybody in the community that might need help whether it be a family member or a relative, we will provide resources if they don’t already have them,” he said.

The incident Saturday comes almost one year to the date of the last murder in the small community.

Tom “Buck” Borson, 55, was found Sept. 23, 2019 at a residence near the Fisher Creek Trading Post, where he worked. The person responsible has not been found, and the case remains under investigation.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell