‘Huge loss:’ Family mourns teen killed in Meadow Lake shooting

The family of a 17-year-old boy shot and killed in Meadow Lake says they’re still in the dark about what happened Monday morning.

Kegan McCallum died in hospital after being found with a gunshot wound at a home in Meadow Lake on Nov. 13.

RCMP were called around 10:30 a.m. Soon after, paramedics took him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“It’s a huge loss,” said McCallum’s aunt, Tara Barthel. “Kegan was a boisterous little 17-year-old boy. Never had a problem with nobody. He was just full of life. Every time you saw him there was a smile on his face.”

A recent photo shows 17-year-old Kegan McCallum posing with his sister Natasha. (Taasha Rae/Facebook)

The shooting prompted the City of Meadow Lake to put the community’s pool and arena on lockdown until early Monday evening. The next day, the Northwest School Division provided counsellors to any students in need of extra support.

Through all this, Barthel said the family only learned about her nephew’s tragic death through the grapevine.

“We weren’t notified by ambulance, cops, nobody,” Barthel said. “We had friends from across the street notify us Kegan was in the hospital. We didn’t even know at the time how severe it was.”

Leianne Barthel, McCallum’s mother, spoke to 650 CKOM through tears.

“It would be different if he was sick and he left us. But he was taken from us. It’s heartbreaking, very devastating. Part of our life is gone,” she said.

“I just hope they can catch the people who did this to my boy.”

Person of interest

RCMP are still looking for a person of interest they described as male, five feet eight inches tall and weighing 102 pounds.

According to police, he was last seen wearing a grey Burton brand hat, glasses, a red hoodie with black writing and black Adidas track pants.

RCMP described the person of interest as armed and dangerous and urged people to phone police and not approach him if they see him.

Meadow Lake is located about 300 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Chris Vandenbreekel.