RCMP still searching for suspect in Fort Smith, N.W.T., suspicious death

A shelter in place order has been lifted in Forth Smith, N.W.T., but a large police presence will remain as officers search for a potentially armed suspect in their investigation into a suspicious death, RCMP say.

The shelter in place order was enacted Friday morning when a person was found dead in the town of 2,500, after police responded to reports of shots fired.

It has since been lifted, but RCMP say the suspect is still at large. 

Insp. Barry LaRocque, the officer in charge of the N.W.T. south district RCMP, said Saturday officers do not know if the suspect has firearms. 

He told CBC News about 25 RCMP officers, including some from Hay River and Yellowknife, are looking for one individual, but that there is the possibility more people could be involved. 

There were multiple firearm-related reports overnight on Thursday and officers are investigating to see whether they are connected to the suspicious death, he said.

LaRocque said a cause of death hasn't been released for the individual who died on Friday.

The person was found inside a residence in Fort Smith, LaRocque said, but it's unclear if the individual was inside or outside the house at the time of death. 

"There has been a number of break and enters reported to the RCMP," he said, including one at the territorial government Department of Lands office building, and officers are investigating to see if the incidents are connected. 

LaRocque said the suspect stole a white 2019 Ford Explorer with an N.W.T. government logo on its side, but that vehicle has since been recovered by police. 

Salt River First Nation Chief David Poitras told CBC News Saturday morning he heard police may put a checkpoint in place on Highway 5, but LaRocque said no checkpoint has been set up there so far. Police would alert the public if one does go up, he said.

Police operation in Fort Smith 

A resident in Fort Smith — about 300 kilometres southeast of Yellowknife, near the Alberta border — said there was police activity around Calder Avenue on Friday night, but that had cleared by around 11:30 p.m. 

William-John McNeill said he was outside his home building a deck at around 11 a.m. on Friday, when he saw a police car "come screeching to a halt." 

Ronnie Schaefer, another Fort Smith resident, said RCMP had closed off Field Street around Calder Avenue Friday afternoon with barricades and spikes. He said he saw officers in tactical gear as well.

The only interaction McNeill had with police was when an officer shouted for him to go inside. 

He said he remained inside for most of the day, but went outside later in the evening for a cigarette and saw police activity. 

McNeill captured a video of the interaction around 10 p.m., where officers could be heard demanding anyone inside a building come out.

"That's when the police were saying to any occupants in the building 'come out, wear only one layer of clothing. No jacket, walk backwards to us,'" he said.

McNeill said about an hour later, police left the area.

Several facilities in the town closed on Friday, including the Northern Store, the Recreation and Community Centre, the arena and the library. 

The Northern Store reopened on Saturday. 

On Friday morning, resident Isabel Lehman said the situation was very concerning. 

"It's not a comfortable feeling, if whoever has done this hasn't been apprehended, then gee whiz, how safe are we?" she said.  

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Fort Smith RCMP at 872-1111 or Crime Stoppers at www.p3tips.com.