RCMP say Wednesday’s incident at the Big Island Lake First Nation concluded peacefully with five people in custody.
Police arrived at a house on the reserve around 5:30 AM and were able to conclude the standoff around 2 in the afternoon. Witnesses say the suspects might have been involved in gang activity, but police are not confirming that at this time. RCMP have said however, that they suspected there were guns in the house, hence the extreme caution taken.
Due to the house being close to the local school, classes were cancelled for the day. Residents of nearby homes were not evacuated, however those that were out at the time were not allowed to come back to the area.
During the incident, Pierceland RCMP received assistance from Onion Lake, Loon Lake, Meadow Lake, Spiritwood, Big River, Ile-a-La-Crosse and other northwest detachments.