Rebecca BigEagle, the aunt of Dendrae Thunder Lonechild, describes her nephew as someone who valued family and always had the biggest smile on his face.
“He was a very goofy and a cheeky kid. As he got older… he liked to make people laugh and smile,” she said. “That’s how I remember him.”
In the early morning of April 23, 2023, members of the Regina Police Service (RPS) responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by an eastbound vehicle in the area of 13th Avenue and Garnet Street.
Sixteen-year-old Dendrae was identified as the pedestrian. It was the moment that his family’s hearts were shattered that his life was taken so young.
“We will miss him very much because of how loving and kind he was,” said BigEagle. “I think that’s going to be the hardest part going forward, because his mom loved him very much and he loved his mom very much.”
BigEagle spoke on behalf of her sister, Kayla Pasap, who is the mother of Dendrae.
Coming from a tight-knit family, he leaves behind all his oldest and youngest siblings. Dendrae was originally from the Whitebear First Nation but grew up in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood. He attended school at Sheldon Williams Collegiate and was just discovering his newfound passion for his culture and ceremonies.
BigEagle said her nephew was a stargazer and loved staring up into the sky at night.
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“He loved to look at the sky and look at the stars,” she said. “So, in his last moments, that was one thing that he was doing, was looking at the stars.”
RPS confirmed this incident was not a hit and run case as the driver remained on the scene. Police did not state if there will be any charges against the driver.
This is one of many unanswered questions the family has and BigEagle says trying to get any answers from authorities has been nearly impossible.
“We haven’t really gotten any answers about everything that’s happened that evening … we just, we want some answers for that,” she said.
“It feels a little unusual to not have someone from the investigation reach out to the family because where we’re finding out (information) at same time as the public.”
In an email response to Global News, the RPS stated this investigation is ongoing and began as police first responded on scene, gathering all possible evidence, which includes physical evidence and witness accounts.
“An investigative team was assigned to this incident immediately, who will remain on this file to conclusion,” stated the RPS. “It’s frustrating when answers do not come quickly, especially in tragic incidents such as this. Our Victim Services Unit and police officers are in communication with the victim’s family, and their grief during this terrible loss is on our minds.”
The RPS said it has not determined what the charges will be, if any.
“Traffic fatality investigations are complex. We do not determine what charges, if any, are warranted until all information can be assessed,” the RPS stated. “This takes time and cannot be rushed. Once we are in a position to provide more details regarding this incident, we will. There remains work left to do.”
Until then, the family of Dendrae is planning to have a memorial event with an art display, guest speakers and a candlelight vigil on the evening of April 27 at the area where he spent his final moments.
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