Mistissini in mourning after double shooting linked to organised crime

The Cree Nation of Mistissini in northern Quebec has lifted a lockdown and begun grieving after two local men were shot dead in what police describe as a targeted attack linked to organised crime.

Shortly after 9pm on Wednesday, multiple gunshots were reported on Riverside Street in Mistissini, a community of about 3,700 people on the shore of Lake Mistassini, roughly 600 kilometres north‑west of Quebec City and around 800 kilometres north of Montreal. Police later found two men in their 30s, both community members, inside a bullet‑ridden vehicle. They were taken to a local health facility and pronounced dead.

In the early hours of Thursday, Chief Michael Petawabano issued an urgent notice placing the community under lockdown, warning of “multiple fatalities” and urging residents to stay indoors and lock their doors while officers investigated. Travel in and out of Mistissini was restricted and community buildings, schools and offices were closed.

By mid‑morning, provincial police from the Sûreté du Québec and the local Eeyou Eenou Police Force said there was no evidence of an active shooter, describing the incident as an isolated event likely tied to the “drug trafficking world”. No arrests have yet been made. Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière said there was no indication of domestic or family violence, and pledged support to the community.

Federal Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty (herself a former grand chief of the wider Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee) said in a statement that her “heart breaks for the Cree Nation of Mistissini” and extended condolences to families affected by what she called a “senseless act of violence”.

For Mistissini, community leaders say the immediate focus is on supporting grieving families and restoring a sense of safety. Chief Petawabano thanked residents for their “patience, cooperation, and resilience” during the lockdown and said the community would “stand together” with those most affected as daily routines resume.