Tragedy struck a small Alberta reserve Monday morning when a five-year-old boy was shot to death.
RCMP were called to the Hobbema reserve about 80 kilometres south of Edmonton around 3 a.m. after receiving reports of shots being fired. After entering the house police found the child’s body.
The boy has been confirmed as the grandson of Samson Cree Chief Marvin Yellowbird.
A woman who was inside the house suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Police are investigating whether reports of shots fired earlier, around 1:30 a.m. are also linked to the incident.
The Samson Cree First Nation reserve has suffered from drug and gang problems for many years. In April 2008 a 23-month-old girl was shot in the spine as she ate dinner.