14-year-old boy, 49-year-old man dead in Candle Lake shooting tragedy

A 14-year-old boy was shot to death on the weekend in the village of Candle Lake and family members claim it was the result of foul play.

The suspect later took his own life.

Ashley Armstrong spoke to paNOW on behalf of the family regarding the death of her nephew, Chase Althouse.

She said shots were fired after her sister’s boyfriend arrived at the family home intoxicated.

Armstrong alleged the man, Troy Thompson, assaulted her sister and produced a handgun. Armstrong said those who were at the home fought to get the gun from him.

During the skirmish, the gun was fired at least twice, Armstrong said. The gun eventually jammed.

“We would have lost everybody,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong said Thompson left in his truck and one of the men at the home followed to make sure Thompson didn’t return. When the scene cleared, Chase was found on the floor with two bullet wounds.

“They performed CPR for over an hour,” Armstrong said.

The RCMP confirmed they received a 911 call around 10 p.m. Saturday of a male who had been shot inside a residence located on Industrial Drive in Candle Lake.

Althouse was declared dead at the scene by EMS.

The three occupants involved in the altercation with Thompson sustained minor injuries. All were escorted to a safe location and the scene was secured for investigation. The gun was also seized by police.

After further investigation, officers believed Thompson, 49, was at another residence located on Steen Place in Candle Lake. The Saskatchewan RCMP Emergency Response Team along with Saskatchewan RCMP Police Dog Services, Saskatchewan Conservation Officers and the Saskatoon Police Service aircraft all responded to the scene.

At approximately 6 a.m. Sunday, Thompson was found dead inside the residence with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police say. There were no other occupants in the residence.

Autopsies were to be conducted by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service on Monday.

The family is now receiving support through victim services. While messages of support have been pouring in through Facebook, Armstrong said the family is requesting privacy.

The victim

Althouse was a student at Meath Park School, and described by Armstrong as the most loving, caring child with a love for animals.

“He went to a farm last weekend and they had a whole bunch of farm cats and my sister was on her way home and here appears this kitten out of his bunnyhug,” Armstrong said.

Althouse also had a passion for dirt biking, and played both soccer and basketball at his school.

“He had a heart for everybody and just a kid everybody liked,” Armstrong said.

Althouse’s father is remembering his son as a protector and a caring animal lover.

Jeff Reed told 650 CKOM that Althouse was a great older brother to his sister and one of the kindest and caring people he’s ever known.

“He wasn’t phased by much,” Reed said. “He was a caring kid — like his sister — so gentle with her and (he) would do anything for anybody. He was a protector.”

Since Althouse’s death, Reed keeps recounting a day a few years ago when the pair were floating down a canal in Penticton. Most of his son’s attention was on the animals surrounding him.

“He had nacho cheese chips, and the ducks were coming after him,” Reed said. “He must have had 15 ducks sitting on that tube with him just sharing chips. He’s just sitting there and he’s feeding chips while we’re floating down the canal. The kid had no fear. Everyone’s afraid of these ducks and they just loved him.”

Matthew Gray, the principal at Meath Park School, confirmed for paNOW the school community has been impacted by the tragic event in Candle Lake.

“The Sask Rivers Public School Division has deployed a response team to provide the necessary supports for as long as necessary and we will not be providing any further information at this time,” he said.

On Sunday, a post was made to the Candle Lake Facebook page, informing residents they were not in danger.

“We are all shocked and we are a small community, particularly at this time of the year, so it has an impact on a lot of the people that are here,” Mayor Terry Kostyna told paNOW on Monday.

Kostyna added supports are now being provided for anyone who needs them.

“Anybody in the community that might need help, whether it be a family member or a relative, we will provide resources if they don’t already have them,” he said.

The incident Saturday comes almost one year to the date of the last murder in the small community.

Tom (Buck) Borson, 55, was found Sept. 23 at a residence near the Fisher Creek Trading Post, where he worked. The person responsible has not been found, and the case remains under investigation.

Nigel Maxwell, paNOW

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Keenan Sorokan