The couple who were living at the home where Winston Littlecrow was shot testified in the trial of the man who is charged in his death.
Tamara Bird and William McKay both spoke about how the doors to their Avenue X home were open to friends and that it was a space away from gang conflict.
But it resulted in being the location where Winston Littlecrow was shot on Dec. 7, 2019.
Bird and McKay were living at 207 Avenue X North at the time of the shooting.
On Oct. 5, both laid out how they invited Littlecrow and his girlfriend over to their home to hang out that day.
Bird noted how there were signs in her home about how it was a space free from conflict regardless of gang affiliations and that she spoke with people about it.
She said visitors generally respected her rules because her five children were living with her and McKay.
Her son’s girlfriend was a sibling of Eiryn Straightnose — the woman who was sentenced to nine years for manslaughter in this incident.
Straightnose was also at the Avenue X house while Littlecrow was there on Dec. 7, 2019.
Straightnose was a member of the Terror Squad gang and saw Littlecrow, who was a member of the Indian Posse gang, in the home.
Bird noted that Straightnose made a comment about Littlecrow being in the home and sent a text to someone with a gun.
That someone is allegedly the teen who is charged with first-degree murder for Littlecrow’s death.
He can’t be named because of provisions in the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The accused was 17 years old at the time of the incident.
McKay said he saw someone enter his house that morning, but wasn’t able to get a look at him.
Bird and McKay also spoke about how both of them had a bad feeling moments before the shooting.
Two employees at Kilburn Hall Youth Centre also testified on Oct. 5.
They spoke about an incident where they found a notebook in the teen’s cell while he was being held in the facility.
Officers are allowed to perform cell checks while youth being detained there are participating in programs.
Shawn Debray, who is a corrections officer at the centre, said in May 2020 that he went to check the youth’s cell and found a journal already turned to a page which had the words “Littlecrow” and “Terror Squad” written on it.
He reported it to his supervisor, Kristine Heil, who then reported it to police.
Both made police statements in November, months after finding the journal.
Littlecrow was 35 years old and a father of five.
He was also the city’s 16th and final homicide of 2019, which broke Saskatoon’s record high.
Crown prosecutors are expected to call three to five more witnesses before closing its case.
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