Keilia Windigo, a bright, talented young woman who “only saw the good in people” was murdered August 18th in Wolseley, SK, at a party celebrating her 18th birthday.[i]
“You could do her wrong and she would forgive you that very moment,” Kristen Windigo, Keilia’s mother, wrote on social media.
“She brought happiness and comfort into every room she entered.”
Her alleged killer is a 17-year-old male from Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation who cannot be named under the terms of Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act.[ii]
“110 (1) Subject to this section, no person shall publish the name of a young person, or any other information related to a young person, if it would identify the young person as a young person dealt with under this Act.”
This man, despite his young age, already has a criminal history that resulted in a Firearms Prohibition Order.
The 17-year-old faces the following charges:[iii]
- one count, manslaughter with firearm, Section 236(a), Criminal Code
- one count, possession of a firearm while knowing it’s unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code
- one count, pointing a firearm, Section 87, Criminal Code;
- one count, possession of a loaded restricted firearm without a license, Section 95, Criminal Code
- six counts, weapons possession contrary to order, Section 117.01(1), Criminal Code
Friends Reach Out to Support the Family
Nasha Sutherland, a longtime friend of the Windigo family, created a fundraising page to help support the family with funeral expenses.
Keilia Winidgo “just graduated high school and had many aspirations,” Sutherland wrote on the GoFundMe page.[iv] “She was very successful and was going to accomplish many things in her life. Which was tragically cut way too short. We ask, if you are able, to help provide any financial help. It would be so greatly appreciated.”
Wolseley Mayor Gerald Hill shared his condolences to Keilia’s family.[v]
“It is with a heavy heart that I extend my sincerest condolences to the family of Keilia Winidgo. The tragic loss of Keilia has left us all in profound shock and sadness,” he wrote.
“It is a stark reminder of how fragile life can be and the importance of supporting one another during such difficult times, leaving us all wondering how something went wrong and led to such an end.”
What Went Wrong
This young man’s past run-ins with the law resulted in at least one Firearms Prohibition Order being filed against him.
This young man got his hands on a loaded firearm, in violation of the Criminal Code of Canada.
Police were unable to prevent this 17-year-old from illegally obtaining the firearm and ammunition he used to murder Keilia Winidgo.
It appears that nobody in the justice system was able to help the young man deal with problems he faced that led him into a life of crime.
These failures led to the death of a young woman about to make her mark on the world.
A few hard questions we must ask:
- What led this 17-year-old to a life of crime?
- Why was he placed under a court-ordered Firearms Prohibition Order?
- What actions were taken under the Youth Criminal Justice Act to help divert him away from a life of violent crime?
- How did he respond to these attempts to keep him out of trouble?
- How did this 17-year-old with a criminal history and a Firearms Prohibition Order against him come to illegally possess a gun and ammunition?
- What prompted that 17-year-old to take his loaded gun to a birthday party?
- What thoughts ran through that 17-year-old’s mind that allowed him to murder a vibrant young woman celebrating her 18th birthday?
Given the kind words said about Keilia Winidgo by her friends and family, what were her last thoughts as her life drained away?
Did she forgive her murderer, as her mother’s post on social media suggests she would?
Our Condolences
CSSA offers our condolences to Keilia Winidgo’s family and friends.
Words along cannot console Keilia’s family and friends.
Can concrete action by all levels of government and the justice system create an environment where taking an innocent life is made unthinkable by even the worst criminals?
We believe it’s possible.
CSSA will continue to work with governments at the local, provincial and federal levels to keep guns out of the hands of those who would harm others. Keilia Winidgo’s senseless death only adds to our motivation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
[i] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/keilia-windigo-mourned-shooting-wolseley-1.7298862
[ii] https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/Y-1.5/page-13.html#h-471612
[iii] https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2024/saskatchewan-rcmp-major-crimes-manslaughter-charge-laid-womans-death
[iv] https://www.gofundme.com/f/keilia-winidgo
[v] https://regina.ctvnews.ca/i-have-no-words-sask-town-mourns-death-of-18-year-old-following-shooting-1.7008254
