Young child hurt after gunfire exchange involving police in northern Quebec: mayor – Montreal

The mayor of a village in Quebec’s Far North says a six-year-old girl was one of two people found injured after an exchange of gunfire involving the Nunavik Police Service over the weekend.

Inukjuak Mayor Bobby Epoo says the girl was flown to a hospital in Montreal where she is receiving care, but he did not provide an update on her condition for privacy reasons.

“I extend my deep support to the family of the young girl and to all community members affected by this distressing event,” wrote Epoo in a statement on Monday. “We remain committed to co-operating fully with the investigating authorities.”

Quebec’s police watchdog says Nunavik officers exchanged gunshots with an individual outside a home in the community just after 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, after they were called about a person who allegedly posed a danger to other occupants.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) says the individual was injured during the police intervention and was arrested, while another person was found seriously hurt inside the residence. The watchdog’s news release said the person who was arrested was in stable condition and the person found inside the home was in critical condition, as of Sunday.

The BEI did not respond to followup questions about the shooting, including whether either person was injured by a police bullet.

Epoo said the watchdog as well as Quebec provincial police, who are also investigating, had finished gathering evidence on-site in Inukjuak. “The focus of the investigation now shifts to the technical phase,” he wrote. He said investigators “will need to conduct further analysis to advance the investigation into the incident that involved a man in his 30s and a six-year-old girl.”

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The Crown prosecutor’s office said Monday that a 35-year-old has been charged with illegally possessing a firearm, described in court documents as a “22 long rifle.”

He appeared virtually in a courtroom in Amos, Que., on Monday afternoon, where he told the judge he was in hospital in Montreal. The hearing was postponed until Tuesday in order to allow the accused to speak with a lawyer. The Crown lawyer said he would object to the suspect’s release from custody, and asked for an order barring him from contacting certain other people.

The Canadian Press has chosen not to publish the man’s name to protect the child’s identity. Nunavik Police Service did not return a request for comment on Monday.

The incident comes as police in Nunavik have faced criticism and calls for change in the wake of recent shootings. The Kativik Regional Government launched a review into the Nunavik Police Service in July, after three fatal police-involved shootings in eight months.

A new interim police chief was named in November. Jean-François Bernier promised he would implement the recommendations from the review and “make changes that reflect greater sensitivity to cultural realities and closer collaboration with community leaders,” according to a news release at the time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2025.

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