'Why didn't they just leave her alive?' says mother of Jeanenne Fontaine
Jeanenne Fontaine, 29, was shot and killed in her North End home in March
Lana Fontaine said she's relieved Winnipeg police have made an arrest in connection with her daughter's murder, but she's still struggling and has many unanswered questions.
Her daughter, Jeanenne Fontaine, 29, was shot in the head inside of their North End home on March 14. The house was then set on fire.
Since her daughter's death, Fontaine has spent weeks trying to piece together what happened and questioning who was behind it all.
It wasn't until Winnipeg police notified her that arrests had been made that Fontaine said she was able to breathe again.
"I was really happy to hear that they had them. I feel more safe. I was really scared for my son," Fontaine said. "He was there too when it happened. I'm just glad he's around still."
Winnipeg police made a number of arrests in relation to Fontaine's homicide.
Malcolm Miles Mitchell, 24, has been charged with second degree murder and arson disregard for human life.
Jason Michael Meilleur, 38, has been charged with manslaughter.
While Fontaine said she's glad three people are behind bars, she said it won't bring her baby back.
"I miss her every day, she was my baby," she said.
"It gives me relief that my daughter can rest now knowing that they've been caught. I just hope she rests in peace, that's all I want for her," she said, fighting back tears. "The pain is just always there, losing her like that."
A Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson said the three individuals charged in Fontaine's case attended the Aberdeen home in an attempt to locate a man, and that Jeanenne Fontaine wasn't the intended target.
"Why did they do that to her?" Fontaine asked. "Why didn't they just leave her alive, if she wasn't the intended target?"
'When will the violence stop?'
Paul Walton, Jeanenne Fontaine's uncle, said the family has dealt with numerous tragedies over the years.
"I've been here for Lana since it happened. She lost her husband a few years before," he said. "We have to figure out a way to stop it."
Walton was relieved to hear that an arrest had been made but was shocked to learn his niece's murder was connected to the homicide of Bryer Prysiazniuk-Settee.
The 24-year-old was shot a few houses away from Jeanenne Fontaine's home, near Powers Street and Aberdeen Avenue, on Feb.8.
Since Fontaine died, Walton has gone to the house she was living in every single day.
"I go in there and smudge. I light a cigarette for her," says Walton. "After it was burnt, I said a prayer and hopefully she's able to rest, I asked the creator to take her up."
As for Fontaine, she is in grief counseling right now, trying to cope with what's happened to her daughter. She's hoping in time, she can heal so she can cherish the time the two had together.
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