3rd arrest made after 'shoot a Indian' Facebook posts in Flin Flon, Man.

A third person is facing charges due to a series of social media posts that police say publicly incited hatred in the Flin Flon, Man., area.

Two women — a 32-year-old from Flin Flon and a 25-year-old from nearby Denare Beach, Sask. — were arrested by Manitoba RCMP last month for uttering threats and public incitement of hatred after a Facebook conversation, which RCMP said started with complaints about a vandalized car and progressed to "very hateful language."

RCMP confirmed this week the arrest of a third individual in response to the Facebook posts. They say they cannot release the names of the three subjects because the charges have not been sworn.

RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre said the investigation package is being reviewed by Crown attorneys to determine which charges should be laid.

After that, the suspects will make an appearance in court to respond to the accusations, he said. 

RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre comments after the first two people were arrested:

RCMP have laid charges after a racist tirade online

6 years ago

Duration 2:04

Two women have been arrested and charged with uttering threats after a spate of vandalism in northern Manitoba led to "hateful and threatening language" online.

Experts say inciting hatred charges are rarely pursued by law enforcement. 

Data from Statistics Canada shows that in the past five years, the charge has been made seven times in Manitoba, but three of those charges were dropped.

"These charges are rare and prosecutions even more rare in Canada," Helmut-Harry Loewen, a former University of Winnipeg sociology professor and an anti-fascism activist, told CBC News earlier this month. 

"That tells me that the RCMP have some confidence that they have a fairly strong case to file such charges and that they have a presumption that they have a potential conviction in this case."

Police publicly announced the first two arrests on July 31.

RCMP haven't confirmed the identities of those two women either, but the details appear to match an online conversation between Facebook users Destine Spiller and Raycine Chaisson.

Spiller, who apparently became angry after she found graffiti scrawled on her car, posted that she would "kill some Indians when I get home," and proposed a "shoot a Indian day." 

Her comments implied that Indigenous people were responsible for the graffiti.

Chaisson suggested a "24 hour purge" in response.

Spiller, who has since apologized, lost her job at a hair salon because of the remarks.