Boy, 15, joins 14-year-old facing 1st-degree murder charge in shooting death of Danielle Cote

Police have arrested a second teenage boy in connection with a string of unrelated shootings in Winnipeg this week that left one woman dead and several other people wounded.

A boy, 15, is now charged with first-degree murder and a list of other serious offences related to three of the four attacks, all of which happened in the same 24-hour period, police said at a news conference on Saturday morning.

The first shooting happened on July 1 at about 2:27 a.m., when a 44-year-old man who had been shot and then hit by a vehicle was found on Balmoral Street near Cumberland Avenue, Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Jay Murray said.

Police allege that the 15-year-old and a boy, 14, charged on Friday were involved in that shooting. Police believe the two boys knew each other but did not know any of the victims, Murray said. Investigators still don't know what prompted the shootings.

Shortly after the first shooting on Wednesday morning, police believe the two teens parted ways, during which time the 14-year-old shot at a 17-year-old girl on Isabel Street between Pacific and Bannatyne Avenues, Murray said. Police said they think that girl was with another man or boy at the time, though they have not been able to identify him.

At 3:15 a.m. the same day, Danielle Cote, 27, and her 18-year-old cousin were walking down Flora Avenue near Salter Street when Cote was shot and killed. Her cousin was wounded and taken to hospital in stable condition. Police allege that the same two teens were also involved in that shooting.

Early the next morning, officers responded to The Forks, where two men had been wounded. One of them, who is 40, was taken to hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound. Murray said investigators believe the two boys were also responsible for that incident.

Police suspected two people were involved in the shootings, but it was decided it was a higher priority to take the 14-year-old into custody first, Murray said. He would not explain what influenced that assessment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Travis Golby/CBC
Travis Golby/CBC

After the first teen was taken into custody, police worked to track down the second. On Friday afternoon, the 15-year-old was arrested at a residence in the city's Dufferin area, Murray said.

The teen was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Cote's death, as well as with one count each of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent, and two counts each of attempted murder and failing to comply with release conditions.

Neither teen can be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Police are still investigating, though they don't expect any more arrests directly related to the shootings, Murray said.