PORT ALBERNI, B.C.—RCMP spent more than three hours Thursday searching the last known residences of two young B.C. men wanted in a string of killings in the province’s remote north. The pair are the subjects of a nationwide manhunt that has put residents of a tiny northern Manitoba town on edge.

Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, are being sought in three high-profile killings in northern B.C. and RCMP believe they are in the Gillam, Manitoba area. McLeod and Schmegelsky have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of one victim, a Vancouver resident.

Police were present Thursday evening at Schmegelsky’s grandmother’s house in Port Alberni — his most recent residence. The home, a typical split-level house with white siding and brick exterior and a “Beware of Dog” sign, stood out from others on the block as it was roped off with police tape.

Neighbours said the police had been at the home for several hours, at least since 3:30 p.m. local time, and had photographed all around the house, including the backyard. At around 6:30 p.m. more than four officers could be seen at the door speaking with an older woman. They removed items from the house, some the size of large Tupperware totes, loading them into a silver SUV parked in the driveway.

Police were also present at a home belonging to the parents of Kam McLeod Thursday evening.

An unmarked Suburban blocked the driveway of the home located just outside Port Alberni at around 8 p.m. A police officer inside the vehicle said “don’t come in here” when approached. Other officers could be seen coming out of the house.

Police at the homes refused to speak with media. A spokesperson for B.C. RCMP said Thursday that police have been in contact with McLeod and Schmegelsky’s families throughout the investigation and said they had visited Schmegelsky’s grandmother’s home on numerous occasions. She was not able to immediately say whether Thursday was the first time items had been removed from Schmegelsky’s grandmother’s home.

Three provinces away, residents of the tiny northern Manitoba town of Gillam were hunkering down as police swarmed the area, concentrating their search efforts for the two wanted teens.

Officers dressed in combat gear strolled through the doors of a convenience store in Gillam Thursday morning.

The Canada-wide manhunt had descended on the area earlier in the week, blanketing the remote town of about 1,300 people with at least 40 RCMP officers and setting residents on edge.

“It’s tense because nothing ever happens like this in Gillam. Everyone is pretty cautious,” said Regina Anderson, who works as a cashier at the Co-op convenience store.

The officers bought coffee and left. But it was just the latest indication of the intense international spotlight on Gillam, located about 1,000 km northeast of Winnipeg. Many residents who spoke to the Star said they were staying inside as much as possible and only venturing out in groups.

Anderson said customers have been sharing rumours about possible sightings of the suspects, and parents were not letting their kids outside.

The community, which is about 250 kilometres south of Churchill, sits between the Nelson River to the north and the Hudson Bay rail line to the south. Nearly half of the people employed in Gillam work in the utilities sector with Manitoba Hydro, thanks to three large dams in the area.

Manitoba RCMP called the situation “dynamic and unfolding” in a statement Thursday, confirming there have been two “established and corroborated” sightings in the area. The sightings occurred before police found a burned Toyota RAV4 near Gillam Monday evening, the same vehicle the suspects had been seen driving.

Gillam Mayor Dwayne Forman estimated there were at least 40 RCMP officers in town Thursday afternoon, driving “constantly” up and down the roads, with at least one armoured vehicle.

“A couple years ago there was a polar bear in the area so we had to have a lot of security measures in place for that, but it was definitely not to this extent,” he told the Star.

RCMP deployed air support, emergency response personnel and a crisis negotiation team into the area and Ontario Provincial Police were assisting with the search as well. Police also set up a check stop on the only road in and out of town.

“We are conducting searches in and around the area. It’s a vast, dense area with challenging terrain,” Cpl. Julie Courchaine told reporters at a news conference Thursday.

“There have been no cars stolen in the area. So we believe they are still in the region.”

McLeod and Schmegelsky have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Vancouver resident Leonard Dyck. Court records show the offence occurred on July 19, 2019, in Dease Lake, B.C.

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The two have also been named as suspects in the grisly slayings of Australian Lucas Fowler, 23, and American Chynna Deese, 24.

Manitoba RCMP said they have received more than 80 tips over the past 48 hours and were asking the public to remain vigilant.

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In Gillam, tensions were running high.

“Everybody in the community is, I guess I wouldn’t say paranoid ... nervous, scared,” said Mario Catalano, who manages a local fuel service company. “I’ve heard people are sleeping with their guns close.”

He said Mounties appeared to be focusing their search on the bush area between Gillam and Fox Lake, which he described as a “harsh environment” riddled with swamps and swarmed by horseflies and mosquitoes that would be hard to navigate for anyone unfamiliar with the area.

People in town were saying an area resident picked up McLeod and Schmegelsky around Provincial Road 280 and brought them into town, but that has not been confirmed by police.

Meanwhile, bars, restaurants and liquor stores were closing early so no one works alone in the dark.

“Everybody’s being extra cautious,” Catalano said.

Trisha Beardy, who works at a car rental business in Gillam, said people were “on edge” and the town was quieter than usual. No one was walking around during the day, and she heard police were searching residents’ homes.

Meanwhile, police were also investigating a photo of Nazi paraphernalia allegedly sent by one of the suspects to another user on a video game network.

Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says RCMP have received the photos that a Steam platform user says were sent by Schmegelsky, who is also pictured in military fatigues brandishing an airsoft rifle and wearing a gas mask.

The two men most recently logged onto their Steam accounts 13 days ago, around the time they told family and friends they were leaving their small Vancouver Island community of Port Alberni in search of work in the Yukon.

Schmegelsky’s account shows he was a frequent player of a shooting game called Russia Battlegrounds, and both young men’s Facebook pages were connected to an account called Illusive Gaming, which had a modified Soviet flag as its icon.

Meanwhile, Forman the mayor, is still trying to process what he said has been a whirlwind week for Gillam residents.

“Honestly I haven’t had time to feel much. I’m concerned that they’re in the area … but I honestly don’t know how to feel.”

With files from Brittany Gervais, Terrace Standard/Black Press Media, the Canadian Press

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