Sagamok community concerned about safety after shooting

While a suspect was arrested early Wednesday morning for a firearms-related incident in Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation, members of the small community remain concerned about their safety.

“Gun violence is very rare in our community,” Sagamok Anishnawbek Chief Paul Eshkakogan told NorthernLife.ca. “They're very concerned about the safety of our community.”

Eshkakogan said there was a sense of relief after police arrested Trystan Ashley Sago, 32, around 12 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

But now the community needs to try and make sense of what happened, he said.

Members of the community held a healing circle Wednesday, and plan to host two more Thursday to allow people to share their concerns and discuss ways to improve safety.

Sagamok Anishnawbek is located about 100 kilometres west of Sudbury, just south of the town of Massey.

The First Nation has 1,600 residents, and for the most part, is no different than most other communities of that size in Canada, said Eshkakogan.

He said police informed the council Wednesday morning that a man in the community had been shot around 9:30 a.m. that day. The man was reportedly injured, but not killed.

The local elementary school was put in lockdown shortly thereafter, and community members were told to stay in their homes and lock their doors.

Members of the Anishinabek Police Service Sagamok Detachment or the Ontario Provincial Police were out in full force Wednesday, searching the community and checking any vehicles that entered or left Sagamok.

Eshkakogan said both police forces did a good job keeping community members informed about the search.

“We kept open lines of communication here at the (band) office,” he said.

OPP Cst. Don Bissonnette said the police service plans to release more information about Wednesday's incident Thursday evening.

The incident remains under investigation.

Any person with information regarding this incident should contact the Anishinabek Police Service (APS) Sagamok Detachment or the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) at 1-888-310-1122.

Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit information online at www.tipsubmit.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.