Armed shooter forces shelter-in-place order and halts Fort Smith music festival

RCMP placed Fort Smith, N.W.T., under a shelter-in-place order just after 3 a.m. Saturday as officers hunt for an armed male suspect wearing a grey sweater. The suspect is linked to a shooting at the Fireweed Festival’s kickoff gathering at the Dirty O'Fergies pub, where the festival announced that multiple attendees were hurt, a detail still awaiting police verification. Festival organizers posted the warning on social media and halted all programming, though the a journalist at one outlet's broadcast is still slated to begin at 6 a.m. MT. Police have created a community portal to collect digital evidence from witnesses and have instructed residents to keep doors locked and refrain from posting images of responding officers.

The Fort Smith Health Centre has entered lockdown, activating mass-casualty procedures and limiting access to emergency cases after callers. The event, now in its fifth year, is known for music, workshops and community-focused activities, but its future this weekend remains uncertain.