Member of Hollow Water speaks about stabbing in community

Jordan Hamilton says he’s still processing what unfolded in Hollow Water First Nation on Thursday morning. His father, Michael Raven, was one of eight victims who were stabbed and later transported to a hospital in Winnipeg. “He was stabbed a couple of times in the back, punctured lungs, but then when he went to the X-rays, they told him there was no serious damage on his lung or his spine, so he was discharged,” Hamilton said. Hamilton said that, along with his father, a cousin was also stabbed by Tyrone Simard, 26, who is his second cousin. “My dad said, ‘You know he came back twice,’ Hamilton said. “He hit him, he fought him once, and then he came back the second time when he was sleeping, kicked in the door and then stabbed my dad right.” Hamilton said Simard stabbed the other six victims in two separate homes. Simard killed his sister, Marina Simard, 18. Tyrone Simard was killed after driving out of the community and colliding with an RCMP cruiser that was on the way to Hollow Water. Police said the officer is expected to make a full recovery. “I can’t blame the family for what happened,” Hamilton said. “I don’t blame them at all. Stuff happens like this, like drugs are crazy. They are out of hand right now.” According to court records, Simard was out on bail on other charges. He was charged with assault with a weapon and mischief for alleged offences that took place on June 8. Records show he was released on June 12 on conditions including a curfew and an order to not use drugs or alcohol or possess weapons. He also faced charges dating back to 2017 for sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching that were never proven in court. This week at the Assembly of First Nations gathering in Winnipeg, chiefs voted in favour of a resolution calling on Canada to deal directly with the opioid and drug crisis in communities. “We are praying for the healing and we want to hope for healing for all those affected,” said Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. “Just a few years ago, on this exact same day that this same senseless act happened in a Saskatchewan community, in James Smith and I hope that these two communities can connect and be together.” In a statement, Manitoba’s Shared Health said that four patients remain in hospital on Friday, while the other three, including Hamilton’s dad were discharged and taken back to Hollow Water. “I just want to put out the word out there for everybody to be safe and think about what happened right and start working on the community and get people going like in these programs right, get them sober,” said Hamilton. Hamilton credited a program that he’s currently in called Makoon Transition Inc. for helping him turn things around. “What made me want to change is when I seen what I was doing to other people’s families,” he said, “Like me dealing this meth, methamphetamine, my choice of drug right. So when I noticed that I wanted to sober up my life and get clean and go back home now when my wife is ready and now that she is we can go back home and help our community clean up too right,” he said. Continue Reading