Two charges each of murder and attempted murder laid in shootings in Faro, Yukon

WHITEHORSE — The RCMP say they were originally called to investigate a domestic dispute in the small Yukon community of Faro on Tuesday before they received further reports of gunfire that left two people dead and a man critically injured.

The suspect in the shootings that caused the remote town to be locked down appeared by phone in a Whitehorse court on Wednesday charged with murder and attempted murder. 

Court documents say Ralph Shaw is charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault.

A Yukon Supreme Court judge scheduled his next court appearance for Nov. 3.

Documents filed with the court on Wednesday say the first-degree murder charges relate to the deaths of Patrick McCracken, 73, and Saenduean Honchaiyaphum, 42.

Police said during a news conference that another man was being treated for critical injuries and in stable condition.

Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard of Yukon RCMP said police presume the victim and suspects knew each other but he wouldn’t discuss a specific relationship.

When asked if police were originally called to investigate a domestic dispute, Sheppard said, “That’s how I understand it.”

He said in a statement RCMP members first found the critically injured man in a home in the town.

“The subject had already left when police arrived,” the statement said, referring to the suspect. 

Police then attended another home where they found the 42-year-old woman unresponsive. 

Soon after calling in for backup in the surrounding communities, police confronted the suspect and he was taken into custody without incident, the statement said. 

Police conducted well-being checks in surrounding homes and that’s when they found the 73-year-old man dead, it said. 

“This is a tragic situation for the town of Faro and the Yukon as a whole,” Sheppard’s statement said. 

“No community, no matter how large or small, ever wants to endure this type of event. It will be important as we move through this difficult period to keep the residents of Faro and all those persons impacted by these events, in our hearts and minds and to assist them wherever we can.”

Yukon Premier Sandy Silver said Wednesday the entire territory is thinking of the residents of Faro.

“This is a very sad time in the Yukon,” he said at a news conference.

He added that the territory will be providing psychological services to affected residents.

Two people are also named in the two counts of attempted murder, which allegedly involved the use of a firearm. 

Mounties on Wednesday would not say what type of weapon was used in the shooting.

Jack Bowers, the incoming mayor of Faro, said Tuesday that police received a shots-fired call just after noon in the community. 

There were reports of multiple injuries and Bowers said the town immediately went into lockdown. 

RCMP rescinded the lockdown notice about 90 minutes later, saying an arrested had been made.

Silver said a co-ordinated, inter-agency response was ensuring critical supports were being provided to residents and emergency responders. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2021.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled the surname of Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard.