Double murder, suicide in western Quebec First Nation, provincial police say

MANIWAKI — A father fatally shot his two children before killing himself in the First Nation community of Kitigan Zibi, in Quebec’s western region, provincial police said Wednesday.

Provincial police said officers with the Kitigan Zibi Police Service were called to a home in the community around 2:15 a.m. where they found the three people.

The 41-year-old father used a firearm to kill his children, aged 10 and 12, provincial police Sgt. Nancy Fournier said in an interview. “The investigation continues in order to establish precisely the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.”

Local police said the victims are all members of Kitigan Zibi, an Algonquin First Nation community of about 2,300 people northwest of Ottawa.

Earlier in the day, provincial police said one of the three was declared dead at the scene and the other two were taken to hospital where their deaths were confirmed.

Quebec Premier François Legault, Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière and local Liberal MP Sophie Chatel were among those who shared their condolences with the community.

“I am deeply shaken by what happened last night in Kitigan Zibi,” Legault wrote on social media.

“To the Anishinaabe Nation, to the families and loved ones of the victims, I offer my most heartfelt thoughts during these difficult times.”

Chatel said she was heartbroken for Kitigan Zibi. “No community should have to endure such loss,” she said in a statement. “I am holding Kitigan Zibi in my thoughts and standing in solidarity as they navigate this tragedy together.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.