The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have classified the death of a four-year-old girl and the severe injuries sustained by two toddlers at a residence in southern Manitoba on Sunday as suspicious, according to a recent announcement.
Officers from the Manitoba First Nations Police Service were dispatched to a residence in Long Plain First Nation following a distress call from emergency responders concerning a young child with injuries around 8 a.m. on Sunday, as stated in an RCMP news release on Tuesday.
The four-year-old child was declared deceased at the residence, authorities confirmed.
Two other children, aged one and two, who were also present in the residence were transported to a hospital, with one in critical condition initially and the other in stable condition. Both children are currently in stable condition.
Given the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the four-year-old and the serious injuries sustained by the two other children, the RCMP have assumed control of the investigation.
Superintendent Rob Lasson, who heads the Manitoba RCMP major crime services, described the incident as “deeply concerning” and expressed the community’s need for answers regarding the events in the household.
Lasson emphasized that the RCMP, in collaboration with the Manitoba First Nations Police Service and community leadership, are diligently working to address the situation and provide assurance to the residents of Long Plain.