Police are urging individuals to avoid the Ginoogaming First Nation area and for residents to stay indoors as they hunt for two armed and dangerous suspects on the loose. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Anishinabek Police Service (APS) are coordinating the response efforts following an OPP media release issued Wednesday at 6 a.m. ET.
The suspects, both described as Black males, are currently at large. One suspect is taller than the other and is wearing an all-grey jogging suit with braided hair, while the shorter suspect is dressed in black pants and black shoes. Residents of Ginoogaming are advised to seek refuge inside a secure building, lock all doors and windows, and draw curtains for added safety.
Members of the public are urged to immediately dial 911 if they spot the suspects and are cautioned not to approach them. Bill Dickson, the media relations coordinator for the OPP, stated that a substantial number of OPP officers and APS personnel are actively searching for the individuals. Dickson emphasized the importance of residents adhering to the shelter-in-place directive until the suspects are located.
The search operation was initiated after reports of gunfire in the vicinity around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Dickson emphasized the deployment of various resources by the OPP, including frontline officers, the Emergency Response Team, Tactics and Rescue Unit members, and the aviation unit.
Local authorities emphasized that the safety of the community is paramount and urged the public to cooperate with law enforcement. Services in the Municipality of Greenstone have been affected, with closures at the Friends of the North Daycare, Seniors Centre, and the Municipal Ward Office in Longlac. Additionally, public and Catholic elementary schools in Longlac and Long Lake #58 First Nation are closed, while Geraldton Composite High School remains open with modified transportation arrangements.
Confederation College’s Longlac campus is closed for the day, and an emergency alert previously issued for Manitouwadge has been lifted. Ginoogaming First Nation, situated approximately 300 km northeast of Thunder Bay, is currently under heightened alert. Residents are reminded to contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122 with any relevant information regarding the suspects.
