Teen enters guilty plea for the killing of Drew Jack on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation

A Saskatchewan teen has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2025 shooting death of Drew Jack on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation. Sierra D’Souza Butts reports.

A teenager has pleaded guilty to their role in the death of a 31-year-old man from Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation in March 2025.

The case is not connected to the quadruple homicide that occurred on the First Nation on Feb. 4, 2025.

The youth, who cannot be named in keeping with the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was charged with manslaughter in the killing of Drew Jack on March 21, 2025 on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation.

Jack’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the autopsy report.

Around midnight, Cliffton Hotomani called police to report that his black Honda SUV was taken without his permission by three youths, which included the offender and two girls.

In the stolen vehicle, the group of teenagers drove to a home in the community where Jack was present, among other adults.

The offender then told the group they would be driving one of the youths back to Hotomani’s residence. However, after being gone for sometime, the group of adults went out in the community to look for the pair themselves.

The pair was found parked in the black SUV at a junction on Municipal Road #606 on the First Nation.

Following a verbal altercation between the offender and one of the girls, Jack exited his car and approached the offender on the drivers side of the black SUV.

After “removing” the youth from the driver’s seat the two started physically fighting. One of the adults told police they heard a “pop” and saw Jack fall to the ground.

“Drew Jack was conscious when he fell to the ground,” Crown Prosecutor Cheyenne Esmond read to the courtroom. “He was then placed in the back of the black SUV and taken back to the house,” referring to Hotomani’s home.

At approximately 2:50 a.m., Files Hills Police Service received a call for emergency medical service after a man was reported to be in cardiac arrest at a home on the reserve.

Upon arriving on scene, officers found Jack injured.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

Jack’s sister called police about an hour later stating she believed Jack had been shot by someone.

He was later pronounced dead at 5:13 a.m. while being treated at hospital.

“Police were made aware by EMS that they had not located a gunshot wound to the chest until Mr. Jack had passed and after the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) had been removed from his body,” Esmond read to the court.

“It was at that time they observed a small hole on the left side of his chest.”

Police arrested and charged the youth on March 24, 2025, following an investigation by Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes unit in conjunction with multiple RCMP investigative support teams and the Regina Police Service.

Justice Catherine Dawson accepted the youth’s guilty plea, finding them guilty of manslaughter.

Family still grieving

Jack’s family members expressed their grief after Tuesday’s court proceedings.

“One year has passed since Drew’s life was taken from us, one year of unimaginable pain, loss, and unanswered questions. Today’s proceedings have reopened those wounds in a way that words can scarcely capture,” read the statement to CTV News.

“While we acknowledge that a guilty plea has been entered, we must be honest: this does not feel like justice.”

Jack was also a father. His family expressed their disapproval for the proposed sentence for the young offender, as the maximum sentence youth can receive for manslaughter is three years.

“We believe there are gaps in the current system that must be addressed. The way serious violent offenses are handled under the Youth Criminal Justice Act needs to be re-examined,” the statement read. “Our fear is that without meaningful consequences and intervention, there is a real risk of reoffending; and more families being devastated like ours.”

“Drew Jack’s life mattered. His story cannot end with a sentence that fails to reflect the gravity of what was taken from him, and from all of us who loved him. We will continue to stand together as a family. We will continue to speak Drew’s name. And we will continue to advocate for justice, not only for Drew, but for every family who deserves to feel safe, heard, and protected.”

One family member told CTV News they were disappointed with the result, as they wished the youth would be tried as an adult.

A trial for the youth charged was supposed to start this November. However, due to them entering a guilty plea it has been vacated.

Sentencing submissions for the youth will proceed in June at Court of King’s Bench.