19-year-old woman charged with manslaughter in fatal stabbing of 12-year-old Winnipeg boy

A 19-year-old womanhas been charged with manslaughter in the death of a 12-year-old boykilled in a violent altercation last Friday in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Police Service announced the 19-year-old's arrest on Tuesday. They have notreleased her name and say they arestill investigating Friday's fatal stabbing.

The child who was killedhas been identified by family asSanchez Boulanger.

Few details have been provided so far on the killing, which police have called "exceptionally troubling."

Last Friday night, twogroupswere involved in an altercation on Burrows Avenue near Main Street, in north Winnipeg'sWilliam Whyte neighbourhood,where theboy was stabbed, police say.

An off-duty nurse who police described as a Good Samaritan helped officers care for the boy until an ambulance arrived, around 7:20 p.m. The boy was rushed to hospital, where he died.

It is not known whether the two groups knew each other, butpolice don't believethe incident isgang-related.

Some detailsmay not be made public until the case makes its way through the court system,Const. Jay Murray said at a Saturday media briefing.

Sanchez Boulanger's mother, Joni Gabriel, has described her son as a caring boy with a kind heart.

A Grade 7 student at Niji Makhwa School in Winnipeg, he liked playing the Fortnite video game, listening to rap music and talking with his friends online.

"He was a good boy, andI just feel like he should have never died that young," Gabriel said in an interview on Monday.

She said she "worried all the time for him" as he was getting bullied online and spending time with the wrong crowd.

According to court documents, the woman charged in the boy's deathwas released from custody on Tuesday. She is required to attend all court appearances and cannot possessany weapons, and is prohibited from contacting a number of people.

Sanchez's family has been shaken by tragedy.

In March 2019, his uncle,38-year-old John Gabriel, was assaulted and died of his injuries.Asecond-degree murder charge has beenlaid in his death.

Homicides involving such young victims are rare.Sanchezis the youngest person to die by homicide in Manitobathis year. Winnipeg has recorded 18 homicides in 2021, 11 of which have occurred in just over a month.

19-year-old woman charged in fatal stabbing of a 12-year-old

3 years ago

Duration 1:26

A woman has been charged with manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of 12-year-old Sanchez Boulanger, killed in a violent altercation last Friday.