Inspector Ashley St. Germaine speaks during an online Saskatchewan RCMP news conference on Dec. 30, as police continue to investigate a deadly shooting on Big Island Lake Cree Nation. (screenshot/battlefordsNOW)

By Kenneth Cheung

one dead, three injured

‘We’re actively monitoring’: RCMP lift dangerous persons alert after deadly Big Island Lake shooting

Dec 30, 2025 | 5:13 PM

Saskatchewan RCMP ended a dangerous persons alert Tuesday afternoon after a shooting on Big Island Lake Cree Nation left one person dead and three others injured earlier in the morning, as the investigation continues to identify two suspects.

During a news conference before the alert was lifted, Insp. Ashley St. Germaine said it would only be lifted once police were confident it was safe to do so.

“We are actively monitoring the situation,” she said. “We just want to make sure that the community is safe, that we’re comfortable with removing that alert … If we do need to reissue the alert based on information coming in, we’ll do that at that time.”

St. Germaine said decisions around the alert must be based on evidence, time elapsed since the shooting, whether additional incidents occur, and the progress of the investigation.

The investigation remains in its early stages, and St. Germaine said RCMP still do not know who the suspects are. She said earlier information indicated two suspects were traveling on an ATV around the time of the shooting.

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“We are continuing to investigate to try to narrow down who our suspects are and where they might be, and that’s where it’s extremely important for the public to provide any information that they might have to help us determine the direction the investigation is going and identify those suspects,” she said.

“We do have to be very cognizant of not rushing the investigation and ensuring that we do have the correct people in custody.”

Police are not releasing the identity of the deceased and are not providing medical details about the three injured people.

“At this time, we do not have specifics about the severity of the victim’s injuries or how many victims required hospital treatment,” St. Germaine said, noting formal identification of the deceased is still underway and protected under privacy legislation.

She confirmed Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes has taken carriage of the investigation, with additional investigators, provincial general investigation sections and forensic identification teams assisting.

She said police believe they have the appropriate resources in place and can scale up if needed.

Alberta RCMP have been notified due to the community’s proximity to the border, but St. Germaine said there is no confirmed direction of travel and no further incidents reported since the initial shooting.

RCMP believe the shooting happened outdoors and appears to be contained to one location. Investigators are still working to determine whether it was targeted or random.

St. Germaine also clarified that RCMP did not order nearby health facilities to lock down, saying those decisions were made independently by other agencies responding to the alert.

She said police are limiting public details to protect the integrity of the investigation and future court process, and vowed RCMP will release any information necessary for public safety.

More information to come. The situation is rapidly unfolding, and we will provide updates as soon as possible. Updates on the alert status are available on the Sask Alert website.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com