A 19-year-old man was shot and killed by police in northern Quebec early Saturday morning after a series of stabbings that left three people dead and two injured, Quebec’s police watchdog said.
The independent investigations unit said its information suggests the suspect broke into three homes in the remote village of Akulivik during the night and stabbed five people, including a child around 10 years old who is among the fatalities.
The two surviving victims were in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon.
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In a statement, the investigations unit said police intercepted the man as he was preparing to enter a fourth residence while armed with a knife.
They said it appears police fired once to stop the suspect from entering, then fired a second fatal shot when he began to move toward the officers.
“The police officers fired to prevent (the entry). The individual reportedly fell to the ground and rose to advance towards the police who fired again, hitting him mortally,” the unit said in a statement.
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A spokesman for the Kativik Regional Police force confirmed that its officers were the ones who responded to the incident.
“The KRPF officers neutralized the suspect at their arrival on the scene,” Jean-Philippe Dubois said in an email, adding the force wouldn’t comment further since the event is under investigation.
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The investigations unit sent a team to the village to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting and confirm the accuracy of the account.
They were expected to arrive Saturday evening.
Quebec provincial police, who said they weren’t involved in the incident, will investigate the stabbings.
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Timothy Aliqu, a member of the village council, said he didn’t have much information about what led the man to go “on a rampage,” saying community leaders were likely to meet soon to talk about how to help their village cope with the tragedy.
“I have no idea what to do next,” Aliqu told The Canadian Press.