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Police said they were still piecing together what happened after the violence erupted early in the morning in the community of about 500 people on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg.

RCMP received a call around 3:45 a.m. about an assault, and emergency medical services responded. Two hours later, Mounties got word of a stabbing, said Supt. Rob Lasson.

Officers from multiple detachments responded to the First Nation located 200 kilometres from Winnipeg. Eight adults, ranging in ages up to 60, were found in two homes, severely injured with stab wounds, Lasson said. 

He said the woman who died was 18. Her 26-year-old brother, Tyrone Simard, was the suspect in the stabbings and fled the community in a stolen vehicle.

On a highway south of the First Nation, Simard collided with a vehicle driven by an officer who was responding to the attack and heading north, Lasson said. The officer suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital but was expected to make a full recovery.

“She stopped a man on a rampage, so on behalf of the province of Manitoba I thank her,” said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew.

The other victims, some in critical condition, were taken to hospital via helicopter and ground ambulance. The Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, the province’s largest hospital, declared a code orange — a move used when a sudden and large influx of patients is expected.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital, Christy Williams said her father, Michael Raven, was one of the injured.

She said there had been a dispute with the suspect. Her father then went to bed and was sleeping when he was stabbed several times, she added.

Mounties said officers continued to investigate and were going from house to house in the community making sure there were no other victims.

Simard was known to police, RCMP said, without going into detail.

The attack happened three years to the day after a mass stabbing on the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and the nearby community of Weldon, which left 11 people dead and 17 injured. 

The suspect in that attack, Myles Sanderson, had moved around the First Nation selling drugs, stealing vehicles, busting down doors and stabbing people while leaving others unharmed. He died of a cocaine overdose after being captured by police on a highway. His brother, Damien Sanderson, was among those killed.

“As we hold our loved ones in memory, we also extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the Hollow Water First Nation,” said a post by the James Smith Cree Nation.

“We know the weight of loss, and we stand with them in solidarity during their time of grief. From our Nation to theirs, we send strength, compassion, and the reminder that they are not alone. We walk together in spirit.”

RCMP said there was no evidence Thursday of any connection between the two mass attacks.

“There’s nothing to indicate that right now. That will be looked at for sure,” Lasson said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.

— With files from Aaron Sousa in Edmonton

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version named the community as Hollow River First Nation.