16-year-old charged in ecstasy deaths of wedding party guests

A 16-year-old boy faces nine charges, including two counts of criminal negligence causing death, in relation to the drug-related deaths of two teenage girls from the Paul First Nation, Stony Plain RCMP announced Thursday.

The teen, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was arrested and charged Wednesday night. 

He is from the Paul First Nation west of Edmonton, police said.

The boy also faces two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, four counts of trafficking in a controlled substance and one count of failure to comply with an undertaking.

He will appear in court in May.

Police were called to a wedding celebration at the Paul First Nation early Sunday morning after four teenage girls suddenly became ill after taking the stimulant ecstasy.

Three girls were rushed to hospital. 

Trinity Dawn Bird, 15, who had been in a coma died in hospital Tuesday night.

Leah Dominique House, 14, died Wednesday. She had also been in a coma.

The third teen was released from hospital on Wednesday.

The fourth girl was assessed and treated on site Sunday morning.

It was initially suspected that the drug had been laced with a poison, but the RCMP said they could find no evidence of that.