A former army corporal was charged Friday in connection with a shooting that left four people dead and one seriously injured in Winnipeg late last week.
Police were called Sunday night to a multi-unit building in the West Broadway neighborhood of the Manitoba capital, where they found five people suffering from gunshot wounds.
A man and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene, while a man and a woman died later in hospital. Another man, aged 55, remains hospitalized in “very critical” condition, Winnipeg police said Friday.
Sergeant Wade McDonald of the homicide unit said officers finally identified a suspect Thursday. They then arrested Jamie Randy Felix at a residence in southeast Winnipeg early Friday.
Detective Jennifer McKinnon said Friday the 32-year-old man faces four counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Winnipeg police have identified the four dead people: Crystal Beardy, 34, her sister Stephanie Beardy, 33, Melelek Lesikel, 29, and Dylan Lavallee, 41. Police have not said whether the suspect and victims knew each other.
On probation under supervision
Provincial court records indicate Felix is currently on supervised probation for a period of two years, following an assault committed in August 2021. He had been charged with aggravated assault, but ultimately pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing bodily harm.
The sentencing hearing revealed that the accused had no criminal record, had served in the military for several years, rising through the ranks to corporal, and had cooperated with the police during the investigation.
The judge acknowledged that Felix had taken steps to address underlying issues, including his drug addiction, and gave him a suspended sentence. In addition to supervised probation, Felix was required to undergo therapy and not possess weapons.
The Beardy sisters killed in the shooting were from Lake Saint-Martin, north of Winnipeg. The family says Stephanie Beardy lived in this Ojibwe community and was visiting relatives in Winnipeg, including her sister Crystal, who was also killed.
Chief Chris Traverse has known the grieving family for years and spent time with relatives this week. ” It’s painful. One of my best friends is their brother. I was with him the last few days,” he said in an interview Friday.
Chief Traverse commended police for their diligence in locating a suspect, which brought some relief to the family and community of Lake St. Martin.