A large piece of military hardware is now part of the massive search for two suspected killers in northern Manitoba.
A Royal Canadian Airforce Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg touched down in Gillam Saturday to aid RCMP with the manhunt.
“It’s good to see them coming. It makes us feel safer, especially with everything else around, pretty hectic times around here,” said Cory Vanalstyne.
Mounties met the military personnel on board at the airport. The air force says an RCMP officer will fly with the crew to direct the search.
Seeing the powerful aircraft brings mixed feelings for residents.
“It’s a bit scary but bittersweet at the same time,” said Kim Halcrow, “It’s a little bit relieving.”
The last known sightings of Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky were days ago in the Gillam area.
They’re wanted in connection to three homicides in B.C., but now police say the two teens may have changed their appearances and someone might have inadvertently helped them leave the area.
With the search seeming to drag on and possibly expand, RCMP requested the aircraft.
“Never seen anything like that up here, but hopefully they’re doing their patrols now and can catch these guys quick,” said Vanalstyne.
RCMP officers are now knocking on doors looking for clues, and will continue to do so over the next couple of days in Gillam and Fox Lake Cree Nation.
Two Mounties knocked on Brian Anderson’s door with a set of questions.
“Any suspicious activity going on, anything you notice different going on, everybody accounted for,” said Anderson.
The Hercules wasn’t the only backup that landed Saturday in Gillam.
Members of the Bear Clan are going to patrol Fox Lake, the community in close proximity to where police say the suspects dumped and burned their vehicle last Monday.
“We’re here to provide a sense of security for community members that are kind of disturbed and frightened of what’s going on,” said the Bear Clan’s Travis Bighetty.
