A 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in what investigators are now saying was a targeted homicide in Haida Gwaii, B.C.
Major crime investigators travelled to the northern archipelago earlier this week after a man was struck by a vehicle in the village of Skidegate. The collision happened at around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of Front Street.
The victim was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries, police said.
Detectives with the North District RCMP’s major crime unit took conduct of the suspicious death investigation and worked alongside the local Daajing Giids RCMP.
“From the outset of this collision, this was investigated as a targeted attack, and at no time did the Daajing Giids RCMP feel there was a risk to the greater community or its members,” Sgt. Chris Manseau, the detachment commander of the Daajing Giids RCMP, said in a statement Friday announcing the arrest.
Police did not identify the suspect in the statement but said he is from Skidegate.
Social media posts have spread throughout the tightknit community in the wake of the incident, including some that accused investigators of too long to make an arrest in the case.
Manseau addressed those posts directly on Friday, saying police have worked “diligently, round the clock over the past few days, gathering all available evidence and speaking to witnesses.”
“While an arrest is certainly a milestone in any investigation, charge approval is always the ultimate goal,” the RCMP spokesperson said. “It’s important that we take the time we need to ensure a successful prosecution.”
In an update Friday afternoon, Mounties announced a second-degree murder charge has been approved against 32-year-old Tyson Young. His bail hearing was scheduled to take place later the same day.
The Skidegate Band Council, which governs the community, imposed a curfew on residents immediately following the death, stating “the current crisis poses an existing or imminent threat to people and property.”
In a followup statement on Wednesday morning, the band council said its offices would be closed “out of respect to everyone impacted by the tragic loss in our community.”
“Please hold each other close, look after one another in these challenging times,” the statement said.
Mounties will be stepping up patrols and speaking with community members “to alleviate fears” over the coming days, the police statement said.
Anyone with any information, including images or video, related to the incident is urged to contact the Daajing Giids RCMP at 250-559-4421.
