First Nation shooting in northern Quebec leaves two men dead

MISTISSINI — Quebec provincial police say two men in their 30s were killed in a double murder Wednesday evening that has shaken a First Nation community in northern Quebec.

The deaths appear to be linked to organized crime, Sgt. Hugues Beaulieu said Thursday.

“It seems to be an isolated event, possibly within the context of organized crime, a kind of settling of scores in the drug trafficking world,” Beaulieu said.

The two men were found inside a bullet-ridden vehicle following multiple reports of gunshots on a street in Mistissini, a Cree community located along the shore of Lake Mistassini, 600 kilometres northwest of Quebec City.

The Eeyou Eenou Police Force investigated the shooting on Riverside Street. The victims, both local residents, were transported to a local medical facility where they were pronounced dead.

Beaulieu sought to reassure the community on Thursday that there was no threat to the community and the victims were not chosen at random.

“As for the rest of the case, we will have to wait for the investigation,” Beaulieu said. “But I can tell you right now that, at this time, no suspect has been arrested.”

The community was on edge after news of the shooting began to spread. Earlier Thursday, the Cree Nation of Mistissini announced the community was under lockdown after a fatal shooting that had caused “multiple fatalities.”

That lockdown was lifted by the Cree Nation of Mistissini before noon on Thursday.

Charlene Awashish, a lifelong resident of Mistissini, said she barely slept as she kept watch for updates on the investigation.

Awashish and her husband were driving home from the gas station Wednesday night when a friend called to check in on them, alerting them that there had been a shooting in the community and the suspect was still on the loose.

“I kind of immediately started to panic and then I called my son,” telling him to go upstairs, close all the curtains, turn off all the lights and lock the door, she said.

The couple stayed up until about 2 a.m. and then her husband, an essential worker, got up for work at 6 a.m., she said, adding his departure left her feeling “kind of scared.”

Since then, Awashish said she has been video calling loved ones and praying.

Mistissini is a community where everyone knows each other, she said.

“It’s really sad to know that there’s a lot of families being affected by this,” she said.

Chief Michael Petawabano announced an end to the lockdown measures, thanking the community.

“I want to thank our community members for their patience, co-operation, and resilience during this difficult time,” said Chief Michael Petawabano in a statement announcing the end of the lockdown.

“However, our hearts remain with the families, and we continue to stand together as a community in support of those affected by this tragedy.”

Premier François Legault said in a statement posted to X that law enforcement and other necessary resources have been deployed to the community.

“My thoughts are with the Cree community,” he said.

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, a former grand chief of the Cree Nation and the local MP for the area, said she was saddened by the tragic events.

“I was absolutely devastated to hear what is going on in my riding,” she told reporters in Ottawa.

“It is such a tough morning to wake up to.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026.

— By Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal with files from Paola Loriggio in Toronto.

The Canadian Press