The mayor of a village in Quebec's Far North says a six-year-old girl was one of two people wounded after a shooting involving Nunavik Police Weekend service.
Inukjuak Mayor Bobby Epoo said the girl was airlifted to a hospital in Montreal where she is being treated, but he did not provide an update on her condition due to privacy concerns.
“I express my deepest support to the young girl’s family and all members of the community affected by this sad event,” Epoo wrote in a statement Monday. “We remain committed to fully cooperating with investigative authorities.”
Quebec police watchdog says Nunavik officers exchanged gunfire with a man outside a home in the community just after 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 20 after receiving a call about a man who allegedly posed a danger to other residents.
The Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) said the man was injured during the police intervention and was arrested, while another man was found seriously injured inside the house. The watchdog said in a news release that as of Sunday, the person arrested was in stable condition and the person found inside the home was in critical condition.
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BEI did not respond to additional questions about the shooting, including whether any people were hit by a police bullet.
Epoo said the watchdog, as well as Quebec provincial police, which is also investigating, have completed collecting evidence at the site in Inukjuak. “The focus of the investigation now shifts to the technical phase,” he wrote. He said investigators “need to carry out further analysis to make any progress in the investigation into the incident, which involved a man in his 30s and a six-year-old girl.”
The Crown Prosecution Service said Monday that the 35-year-old man has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, described in court documents as a “.22-caliber rifle.”
He appeared in a courtroom in Amos, Que., Monday afternoon, where he told the judge he was in hospital in Montreal. The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday to give the defendants a chance to speak with counsel. Crown counsel said he would oppose the suspect's release from custody and asked for an order banning him from contacting certain other people.
The Canadian Press decided not to publish the man's name to protect the child's identity. The Nunavik Police Service did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
The incident comes as Nunavik police come under criticism and calls for change following a recent shooting. The Kativik regional government began a review of Nunavik's police service in July after three fatal police-involved shootings in eight months.
A new interim police chief was appointed in November. Jean-François Bernier promised that he would implement the review's recommendations and “make changes that reflect greater sensitivity to cultural realities and closer collaboration with community leaders,” according to a press release at the time.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2025.
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