A 30-year-old man is in custody after two young boys were found dead in Wendake, Que., a Huron-Wendat First Nation just outside Quebec City. Police say it is unclear whether the suspect and the victims are related.
Quebec provincial police say a 30-year-old man is expected to be charged with murder after two boys, ages two and five, were found dead overnight at a home in Wendake, Que.
At about 2 a.m. Sunday, members of the local police department notified the Sûreté du Québec about the boys’ bodies, which were discovered at the home in the Huron-Wendat First Nation just outside Quebec City.
Police have yet to determine whether the suspect and the victims are related, according to SQ Sgt. Ann Mathieu.
The man turned himself in to Quebec City police. He was taken to hospital to be evaluated and is now being questioned by investigators, she said.
Premier François Legault tweeted his condolences to the entire Huron-Wendat Nation, saying people across Quebec are devastated by what he called an unspeakable tragedy.
Ian Lafrenière, the province’s new minister of Indigenous affairs, also tweeted a message of condolence to the boys’ loved ones. He said as a father, his heart is shattered.
Konrad Sioui, grand chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation, said he felt an “incredible sadness” when he learned about the children’s deaths.
“We’re stunned. It’s very, very hard. It’s unacceptable,” he said.
Community members have been dealing with some difficult things lately, he said, including the death of Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman who died on Sept. 28 in a Joliette, Que., hospital.
He said counselling will be offered to teachers, students and anyone else in the community who may need it.