Teens charged in Friday fatal stabbing
Three youths arrested after incident at northside Tim Hortons; two detained for remand court Saturday, where one faced count of murder, other faced count of manslaughter
An elderly man is dead and two teenage boys are facing murder and manslaughter charges after a stabbing at a northside coffee shop Friday night, police report.
The Fredericton Police Force issued a news release Saturday announcing that officers responded to a report of a stabbing incident on the city’s north side Friday night.
“On June 21, 2024, shortly after 11:10 p.m., Fredericton Police Force responded to a call of a fight in progress on the 500 block of Union Street,” the release said.
“Upon arrival, police found a 71-year-old male who had been stabbed and was critically injured. The male was transported to the hospital … The 71-year-old male unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.”
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Police didn’t identify the specific location, but online chatter showed the Tim Hortons location on that block of Union Street was cordoned off after the incident Friday night.
“Police quickly apprehended two suspects and later arrested a third after he fled from police,” the police news release said.
Two of the suspects - both 17-year-old boys - remain in custody pending weekend remand court appearances, the police force reported, while another suspect - a 15-year-old boy - was released from custody.
In an update posted on social media Saturday afternoon, the police force advised that the two 17-year-old suspects appeared in weekend remand court.
One was charged with second-degree murder and the other with manslaughter, it said.
Their identities are protected as per the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Police identified the victim as Mark Albert Brooks of Sitansisk (St. Mary’s) First Nation.
In a post earlier in the day, the Indigenous community in Fredericton referred to him as Mark Brooks II (Barnzie).
“Police were able to quickly determine the sequence of events in detail and promptly lay charges against the two youths,” the force said in its afternoon update Saturday.
“This was made possible with the help of witness statements and video evidence provided by local establishments.”
It thanked the witnesses and businesses that aided in the investigation.
The original news release didn’t indicate if the third boy who was released is subject to any conditions, if he’ll face charges or if he was given a promise to appear in court at a later date.
Sitansisk said in its Facebook post that community officials had lit a sacred fire in Brooks’ honour at the Maqiyahtimok Community Centre, and that crisis incident management services are available to members of the community dealing with the tragic news.
The police force noted that members of its major crime and forensic identification units were on the scene investigating the incident, and the RCMP’s police dog services unit aided with the response as well.
It noted the investigation is ongoing, and it’s still asking anyone with information about Friday night’s events to call the force at 506-460-2300 or email intelligence@fredericton.ca.
Those wishing to provide information anonymously can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Tipsters are advised to cite police file no. 24-13862.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.