‘We send strength’: James Smith Cree Nation offers condolences to Hollow Water

Hollow Water First Nation Chief Larry Barker speaks during a press conference in Winnipeg on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 in this image taken from video. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Brittany Hobson

Messages of condolences and support poured in for a Manitoba First Nation after a mass stabbing on Thursday, including from a First Nation in Saskatchewan that experienced one of its own exactly three years earlier.

Police say eight people were found severely injured in two homes on Hollow Water First Nation, northeast of Winnipeg.

• Read more: Mountie injured in crash with suspect following mass stabbing in Manitoba

An 18-year-old woman died while the suspect, her 26-year-old brother, died after the stolen vehicle he was driving collided with a vehicle driven by a police officer responding to the attack.

Police are continuing to investigate the violence that shook the community of about 500 people on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg.

The attack took place exactly three years after a mass stabbing on the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and the nearby community of Weldon that left 11 people dead and 17 injured.

The First Nation says it stands with Hollow Water in solidarity during its time of grief.

“From our nation to theirs, we send strength, compassion and the reminder that they are not alone,” the First Nation said Thursday in a statement posted on social media. “We walk together in spirit.”

Hollow Water First Nation Chief Larry Barker asked the community to pray and support each other.

“My prayers go to the people that are in the hospital right now recovering,” he said.

Politicians including federal ministers and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew also expressed condolences.

“To the leadership and to the community members of Hollow Water, our hearts are with you,” Kinew said.

“Our hearts feel very heavy, and we will be there to support you in the ways that are necessary.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.