A man identified by police as the perpetrator of a fatal attack on his sister and multiple individuals with a knife in Hollow Water First Nation, Manitoba, had been instructed to maintain distance from his sibling while on bail, as per court documents. Tyrone Simard, aged 26, faced charges of assault with a weapon and mischief related to incidents on June 8. There were additional charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, and invitation to sexual touching stemming from alleged events in 2017.
Following a Winnipeg court’s decision on June 12, Simard was granted release on both cases under specific conditions, including a curfew and mandates to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and weapons. Furthermore, he was prohibited from contacting four individuals, including his 18-year-old sister Marina Simard, who tragically lost her life in the recent assaults.
Simard acknowledged his understanding of the conditions during the court proceedings. Previous records revealed his guilty pleas to two counts of assault and mischief from 2017, with reports indicating struggles with cognitive function and alcohol misuse.
Having spent his early years in Hollow Water before being placed in foster care at age 10, Simard transitioned through various group homes in Winnipeg and eventually settled in a foster home until aging out of the system. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that Simard attacked eight people in the First Nation, with seven individuals hospitalized as a result.
After the incident, Simard fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, leading to a fatal collision with an RCMP cruiser. The officer involved in the crash, en route to the attack location, sustained injuries but is anticipated to recover. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has initiated an inquiry into Simard’s demise.
Numerous messages of sympathy and solidarity have been conveyed to the affected First Nation, including support from the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, which experienced a similar mass stabbing three years earlier. Premier Wab Kinew visited Hollow Water on Thursday evening, with Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak extending prayers and condolences in response to the tragic events.