Teen charged after Saskatoon’s sixth homicide of 2019

A first-degree murder charge has been laid in the death of a 60-year-old man in Saskatoon.

Police were called to an apartment building in the Avalon neighbourhood on Monday night after getting a report of an injured man. He had died by the time officers arrived.

A 15-year-old boy has now been charged in the city’s sixth homicide of the year.

Police said in a media release Tuesday that the suspect and the victim were known to each other.

Chris Chenier lives in the apartment building next door. He said he and others neighbours he has spoken with have noticed a spike in what he calls “sketchy activity” lately.

That has led to increased communication among neighbours.

“Everyone in my building, we’ve had conversations, as neighbours do, (saying) ‘Just keep this in mind,’ ” Chenier said.

Chenier said he still feels pretty safe in his neighbourhood, but he knows a number of people do not.

“With everything that has been going on lately, we’ve been exchanging phone numbers. Everyone is on watch,” Chenier said.