A Manitoba community is grieving after a nine-year-old boy died from injuries after being shot Thursday.
RCMP said an initial investigation suggests the boy was inside his residence on the Sagkeeng First Nation when a gun in his 14-year-old brother's hands went off.
Nine-year-old Quinton Courchene was rushed to hospital, but died from injuries.
Sagkeeng is located northeast of Winnipeg, near Powerview.
David Courchene, the boys' great-uncle, told CTV News the incident was an accident.
"The innocence, the laughter the respect the young child had - he had all of that. That's what makes this so difficult when a child is lost at this age," said Courchene.
Police said at least one parent was home at the time. Sources told CTV News the nine-year-old boy was shot a single time in the face with a high-caliber rifle.
"At this time we have no evidence whatsoever to indicate this was a deliberate shooting. All indications point to a tragic accident," said Cpl. Miles Hiebert with RCMP.
Officers are still trying to determine who the weapon belonged to and how it got into a 14-year-old boy's hands.
"I'm sure there will be many questions that will be asked but I don't think this is the time," said David Courchene.
"All I can say about firearms is that firearms are connected to hunting and that's our way of life," said Sagkeeng Chief Donovan Fontaine.
The death is not the first sudden one the community has had to face this week. Earlier in the week, a 41-year-old man was found murdered in a shed. Two people face charges for that death.
Grief counsellors are stretched to the limits in the community and Health Canada is set to send in a few extra professionals to help.
"Whenever you lose a child, it just pulls the heart strings. It's just a parent's worst nightmare," said Fontaine.
RCMP stressed the need for gun safety.
"Proper training and handling of them…is critical because a situation can turn deadly in moments and there's no turning back the clock," said Cpl. Hiebert.
- with a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley
