'No child should have to die like that': Winnipeg woman remembers 12-year-old son who died following stabbing
A Winnipeg woman is remembering her son after he died in an altercation last week.
Joni Gabriel said her 12-year-old son, Sanchez Boulanger, was the one who died on June 18 after an altercation broke out in the 200 block of Burrows Avenue.
Police said Boulanger was stabbed and died in hospital from his injuries.
Gabriel said her family is still trying to cope since Sanchez died.
"(We're) tired, it's stressful. The kids are like processing it. I'm just like, tired and trying to process it too, and I'm confused," said Gabriel.
She said when she has been going through the stages of grief since his death.
"At first I was sad, but now I'm just getting angry, but I am trying not to be angry, I'm just trying to work through it."
Gabriel said her son was a quiet, well-mannered kid, who liked hanging out with his friends, listening to music, and playing Fortnite.
Remembering June 18, Gabriel said her son told her that he was going to go hang out with his girlfriend earlier in the day but he wouldn't specify where.
She said she didn't know anything had happened until she received a call that her other son was also in hospital.
Gabriel first went into the hospital to see her other son Caesar and when she saw him, that's when she was told Sanchez was in the other room.
"They said he wasn't doing too good…They took me to another room and told me to sit down and holding my arm and then she said, 'The doctor needs to come to talk to you, he was stabbed in the heart.'"
Gabriel said Sanchez's sibiling have taken his death hard.
She added she still has questions about the investigation and wonders if more people were involved in Sanchez's death.
"No child should have to die like that."
A vigil was held to honour Sanchez Wednesday night.
The event, which was hosted by the First Nation Indigenous Warriors, was held near where the altercation happened last week on Burrows Avenue between Main Street and Charles Street.
Several members of the community attended the vigil where prayers were said for Sanchez and his family, and drummers performed.
A small shrine has also been started near the scene to remember Sanchez, which features a picture of him, along with well-wishes and stuffed animals.
HOMICIDE SUSPECT RELEASED FROM CUSTODY
Following Sanchez's death, police arrested a 19-year-old woman on June 21 and she was charged with manslaughter.
CTV News learned through court records that Shania Ann-Marie Pearl Pirrie was released from jail on June 22.
She must follow specific conditions during her release, including attending court and living at an address provided to the court.
She is not allowed to live at a different address unless she has permission, she can't contact four specific people and she is not allowed to own or possess any firearm or weapon.
The charges against her have not been proven in court and the homicide unit continues to investigate.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.