Fabian Skani Obituary, Death; – A man from the Cold Lake First Nations, who was shot and killed by the Alberta RCMP last weekend, has been named by his family, who assert that he was in the process of rebuilding his life at the time of his death.
Farron Atkinson has identified his brother, Fabian Skani, as the individual who lost his life in Cold Lake, Alberta, approximately 300 kilometers northeast of Edmonton, on Saturday. The incident occurred near the intersection of 50th Street and 43rd Avenue, an area populated with various businesses and restaurants.
According to a statement from the RCMP, two officers responded to reports of an attempted stabbing around 8 p.m. and “utilized their intervention options, including a firearm,” while attempting to apprehend a man who was reported to be armed with an “edged weapon.”
He was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries, as stated by the RCMP. Atkinson mentioned that he last saw Skani just a week prior, when he provided him with a ride from Edmonton to Cold Lake. “He was my brother. He was my blood, you know?” he expressed.
“And whenever he reached out to me, I assisted him; we communicated frequently. We shared many experiences when he was present. He had a lovable personality.” He acknowledged that Skani faced numerous challenges, including addiction, but had been optimistic about finding a new residence and starting anew. “We all have our issues. He is a Sixties Scoop survivor, just like I am,” he remarked. “And then all of this occurred — it is incomprehensible.”
An RCMP statement indicates that the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team will investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. ASIRT has not yet released a statement confirming the initiation of the investigation.
The Chief has called for necessary changes. Skani’s death follows closely on the heels of a call from the Assembly of First Nations for a national inquiry into systemic racism in policing, with ten First Nations individuals having been killed following police interactions from August to November 2024.
Among those fatalities was 15-year-old Hoss Lightning, a boy from the Samson Cree Nation, who was fatally shot by the RCMP in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, on August 30. On Monday, Chief Kelsey Jacko of the Cold Lake First Nations expressed that his community is heartbroken and shocked by “the loss of one of our own.”
