An emergency alert was issued Thursday afternoon warning of two dangerous persons in the area of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation.
According to the alert – which was issued just before 4 p.m. – the public should avoid the area as police work to track down the two suspects.
Those in the area were advised to take shelter inside, close and lock all doors and windows, and avoid sharing police locations.
“Suspects are 29 year old Justice Bird, who was last seen wearing a white ball cap, and black and white clothes,” the alert read. “Deon Smith is 27 years old, no clothing description, both of Montreal Lake.”
According to the alert, Bird and Smith were last seen on foot “in the area of House 713 Montreal Lake.”
The alert did not say what the pair are suspected of doing or why the alert was issued, but the alert was labeled “critical” on the SaskAlert website, which indicates “imminent life-threatening danger.”
A statement from the Saskatchewan RCMP at 4:25 p.m. said the pair were believed to have a firearm, and one injury was reported.
Despite Smith being named in the provincial alert, the RCMP said police are “working to definitively confirm the second suspect’s identity and description.” The alert online was later updated at 4:43 p.m. to remove Smith’s name and reflect the RCMP’s latest statement.
Montreal Lake Cree Nation is located about 100 kilometres north of Prince Albert.
The latest information on provincial alerts can be found on the SaskAlert website.