Based on coverage from CBC, Global News, and Winnipeg Free Press.
Residents of Norway House Cree Nation in northern Manitoba were told to lock their doors Tuesday night after a shooting at a local bar left two men hurt and a suspect still on the run. RCMP say they brought in police dogs and other specialized units to search nearby bush after the man was last seen fleeing toward Fort Island.
Police were called around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to a disturbance just south of Lagoon Road.
Norway House Cree Nation bar shooting details
RCMP say officers found two males with gunshot injuries when they arrived. The police news release did not include the victims’ ages or their conditions.
Norway House Cree Nation said in an emergency alert that the shooting happened at the Playgreen Inn bar. Multiple reports agree on that location.
RCMP search near Fort Island continues
According to the First Nation’s alert, the suspected shooter was seen running into the bush on nearby Fort Island. As of early Wednesday, officials said the suspect had not been caught.
RCMP have not released a description of the suspect. Police have said they believe he is armed with a weapon, and they are asking anyone with information to contact the Norway House detachment.
Community lockdown and business closures ordered
The First Nation’s emergency alert urged residents to lock their doors and not let anyone into their homes.
“RCMP have requested a full community lock down,” the alert said, adding that offices and local businesses had closed “until further notice.”
Chief Season Roulette echoed that message publicly, telling people to stay home, check on loved ones, and follow official instructions. In a social media post, Roulette said their “heart is with everyone affected” and offered prayers for families and for those “working to protect our community.”
Second Manitoba First Nation lockdown this month
The Norway House lockdown comes less than two weeks after a separate lockdown in Pukatawagan, another Manitoba First Nation community. That situation followed an armed home invasion on April 17, RCMP said.
Two boys, aged 16 and 17, were arrested shortly after that incident, according to police. The third suspect, 23-year-old Creedan Bighetty, avoided police for several days before being found inside a residence on Monday.
One report places Pukatawagan about 300 kilometres northwest of Norway House.
Why Norway House Cree Nation size matters
Norway House Cree Nation describes itself as one of Manitoba’s largest Indigenous communities, with nearly 6,900 members living on reserve. The community is on the eastern channel of the Nelson River, and it’s commonly reached via long highway drives from larger centres. One report pegged it at about 195 kilometres south of Thompson, while another described it as roughly an 800-kilometre drive from Winnipeg.
That distance matters in emergencies: when a community is asked to lock down and businesses close, day-to-day life can quickly grind to a halt.
RCMP are asking anyone with information to contact the Norway House detachment at 204-359-6715.
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