{"id":495557,"date":"2026-02-24T04:44:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T04:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/495557\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T04:44:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T04:44:08","slug":"two-men-charged-in-winnipeg-homicide-investigation-after-20-year-old-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/495557\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Men Charged in Winnipeg Homicide Investigation After 20-Year-Old Dies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Winnipeg<\/a>
\n Police Responded to Wellbeing Call on Keenleyside Street; Homicide Unit Leading Investigation<\/p>\n

WINNIPEG \u2014 Winnipeg Police say two men are in custody and facing serious charges following a homicide investigation that began with a wellbeing call at a residence in the city\u2019s East District.<\/p>\n

Police report that on Feb. 21, 2026, at 5:07 p.m., officers were dispatched to a home in the 400 block of Keenleyside Street. East District General Patrol officers located a 20-year-old man suffering from injuries inside the residence. He was transported to hospital in critical condition, where he later died.<\/p>\n

An 18-year-old was arrested at the scene. Police say a second suspect, a 19-year-old, was arrested later that evening at 8:17 p.m. in the 500 block of St. Mary\u2019s Road.<\/p>\n

The Winnipeg Police Service Homicide Unit has taken over the investigation.<\/p>\n

Police have identified the deceased as Nikolas Bear, 20, a member of Berens River First Nation who had been residing in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

Charges Laid<\/p>\n

Winnipeg Police say:<\/p>\n

Augustine Owen Bear, 18, and<\/p>\n

Xaavier Xander Fiddler, 19<\/p>\n

have each been charged with:<\/p>\n

Both accused were detained in custody.<\/p>\n

This report is based on police information. The accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.<\/p>\n

Content Advisory<\/p>\n

Information contained in police media releases may relate to issues of violence or trauma, which could be distressing for some individuals. Be mindful of your well-being and consider whether engaging with this content is appropriate for you.<\/p>\n

Understanding the Charges Under the Criminal Code
\nManslaughter<\/p>\n

Manslaughter is a form of culpable homicide where a person causes another\u2019s death but the Crown does not allege the intent required for murder. In Canadian law, manslaughter can arise in several ways, including:<\/p>\n

an unlawful act that results in death,<\/p>\n

criminal negligence causing death, or<\/p>\n

other circumstances where death is caused without the specific intent for murder.<\/p>\n

Penalty: Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Where a firearm is used, mandatory minimum penalties can apply; otherwise, sentencing is highly fact-driven and depends on the circumstances, the offender\u2019s background, and aggravating\/mitigating factors. Courts may impose lengthy penitentiary terms where violence is severe, where there is a breach of trust, or where the conduct is particularly brutal.<\/p>\n

Aggravated Sexual Assault<\/p>\n

Aggravated sexual assault is among the most serious sexual offences in the Criminal Code. It generally involves committing a sexual assault while:<\/p>\n

wounding, maiming, disfiguring, or<\/p>\n

endangering the life of the complainant.<\/p>\n

Penalty: Aggravated sexual assault is punishable by up to life imprisonment. It also carries a mandatory minimum sentence in certain circumstances (including specific factors such as the age of the complainant or use of a firearm). Beyond incarceration, convictions can also trigger significant court orders, including:<\/p>\n

DNA collection orders (where applicable),<\/p>\n

long-term probation conditions after custody,<\/p>\n

registration obligations under federal legislation for sex offenders (where ordered by the court),<\/p>\n

and restrictions on contact with victims and other vulnerable persons.<\/p>\n

Possible Court Orders Upon Conviction<\/p>\n

If there is a conviction for either charge, the court may also consider additional orders depending on the facts, including:<\/p>\n

probation orders with strict conditions (often following a custodial sentence),<\/p>\n

no-contact orders and geographic restrictions,<\/p>\n

weapons prohibitions,<\/p>\n

restitution in limited circumstances,<\/p>\n

and other victim-protection conditions.<\/p>\n

Sentencing in Canada is individualized and guided by Criminal Code principles, including denunciation, deterrence, separation from society where necessary, rehabilitation, and proportionality.<\/p>\n

Investigation Continues: Police Seeking Information<\/p>\n

Winnipeg Police are asking anyone with information to contact:<\/p>\n

Homicide Unit: 204-986-6508<\/p>\n

Crime Stoppers (anonymous): 204-786-TIPS (8477)<\/p>\n

or online at winnipegcrimestoppers.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Police Responded to Wellbeing Call on Keenleyside Street; Homicide Unit Leading Investigation WINNIPEG \u2014 Winnipeg Police say two…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":495558,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194296],"tags":[49,48,22073],"class_list":["post-495557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-winnipeg","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-winnipeg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=495557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}