THUNDER BAY - The 11-year-old victim of a homicide at a south side home on Jan. 1 has been identified as the son of the accused who is now facing a second-degree murder charge.
Officers with the Thunder Bay Police Services were called to a home on the 200 block of Victoria Avenue West just after 7 a.m. on Jan. 1.
According to Det. Insp. John Fennell with the Thunder Bay Police Service, the incident was taking place as officers were responding.
“As a result of going there, officers discovered it was a scene where a child was injured and transported to hospital where unfortunately succumbed to their injuries,”
The 11-year-old male was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital. An injured 59-year-old man was also located in the residence and was transported to hospital for treatment. He has since been released from hospital.
Police are investigating the incident as a homicide and Courtney Marie Labelle, 34, of Thunder Bay was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault.
“We are working with the regional coroner’s office,” Fennell said. “A post mortem will be conducted most likely this weekend.”
Because the investigation is ongoing, Fennell could not release details related to the nature of the injuries sustained by the victims or if a weapon was involved.
The residence was not known to police and Fennell said he cannot speak to whether drugs or alcohol were involved.
“There does not appear to be outside influence on this,” he said. “I will go as far as to say that this would not have ever been expected from this place or location.”
Labelle made a court appearance on Wednesday and has been remanded into custody with a future date of Jan. 8.
The investigation is ongoing and Fennell said they are seeking information from the public that could assist.
“If anybody has any information in regards to the evening before as to where the accused was, would be helpful to this investigation, and to please contact our detectives at the police station at 684-1200 so we can learn where the accused may have been that evening,” Fennell said.
Fennell added that services are in place to assist officers and first responders who may have been impacted by the scene.
“All emergency services have wellness programs now to be able to assist with the officers that had to deal with the scenes as well as we put into place victims services to help with the family,” he said.
NEWS RELEASE
THUNDER BAY POLICE SERVICE
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The victim of a Jan. 1, 2020 homicide has been identified as an 11-year-old male from Thunder Bay.
Investigators with Thunder Bay Police Service’s Major Crimes Unit continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this homicide. Officers with the Uniform Patrol Branch were originally dispatched to a home in the 200 block of Victoria Avenue West just after 7 a.m. on Wednesday Jan. 1, 2020.
When police arrived they located the youth victim. Paramedics transported the youth to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre where they were later pronounced deceased.
A second victim, a 59-year-old Thunder Bay man, was also injured. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries and has since been released.
As the result of an ongoing investigation, police learned an altercation took place at the home between the victims and a 34-year-old Thunder Bay woman, who has since been identified by police as being the mother of the youth victim.
Police are still holding the scene at the Victoria Avenue residence. A post-mortem is being scheduled and is expected to take place in Toronto on the weekend.
Courtney Marie LABELLE, 34, of Thunder Bay, is charged with Second-Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault. She appeared in bail court Wednesday and is being held in custody with a future appearance date of Jan. 8, 2020.
