A huge police presence has descended on a tiny river town amid unconfirmed reports two fugitive teens have been spotted.

Darkness has fallen on the tiny river town of York Landing in northern Manitoba where two teen murder spree suspects remain on the loose more than eight hours after they were spotted scavenging in a landfill.

Police and the military shifted their massive search operation from Gillam after members of First Nation volunteer group Bear Clan Patrol sighted Bryer Schmegelsky, 18 and Kam McLeod, 19, rummaging around for food before fleeing into thick trees.

Unconfirmed reports began circulating on social media that the pair had been captured in a hail of gunfire, along with a video purportedly showing one of them being taken into custody.

But Royal Canadian Mounted Police Manitoba shut down those reports, stating no shots were fired and the fugitives remained at large.

The manhunt has sent locals into a panic and thrown transport lines servicing the remote region into chaos, with train service Arctic Gateway issuing a warning about delays as the search continues to expand.

“All efforts are being made in York Landing to apprehend two individuals matching the description of the suspects,” RCMP Manitoba tweeted.

“The safety of our community members is our priority. We remind residents to stay inside & check all doors & windows to ensure they are closed and locked.”

Despite reports - there is no one in custody at this time. RCMP officers remain in the community of York Landing & continue to investigate the reported sighting of the two suspects. All required resources are being used in this ongoing investigation. Updates to follow. — RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) July 29, 2019

All efforts are being made in York Landing to apprehend two individuals matching the description of the suspects. The safety of community members is our priority. We remind residents to stay inside & check all doors & windows to ensure they are closed & locked. #rcmpmb — RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) July 29, 2019

The unfolding situation and uncertainty around the pair’s whereabouts has become difficult for authorities to keep a lid on. They have asked social media users to stop sharing information that could help the teens escape or put officers in danger.

“Please do not disclose officer locations by posting photos of our officers in the community on social media,” RMCP Manitoba tweeted.



Locals in York Landing, which borders Split Lake, say they were told to stay inside their homes as police responded to reports the pair had been spotted searching for food. Bear Clan Patrol — a volunteer group — made the sighting.

The group’s James Favel told reporters the pair were scavenging for food near a dump about 4.15pm local time and that they fled into thick trees when they were spotted.

York Landing, halfway between Lake Winnipeg and Hudson Bay, is home to less than 500 people. It is serviced by ferries which leave every few hours on a two-hour trip to Split Lake.

Leroy Constant, Chief of the York Factory First Nation, said authorities were conducting “ground searches with dogs and heavily armoured officers” but poor weather conditions were hampering the air search.

“Currently heavy winds are limiting helicopters and drones,” he wrote on Facebook.

“We are urging everyone to remain indoors with windows and doors locked. Patrols of the community will be done on a 24 hour basis.”

Multiple RCMP resources are being sent to York Landing, MB, to investigate a tip that the two suspects are possibly in, or near, the community. A heavy police presence can be expected in the area. We will continue to update you as information becomes available. — RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) July 28, 2019

Earlier, the chief warned York Landing locals there had been a possible sighting of the teens at a community landfill.

“And all vehicles should be parked. Please share the message with those who don’t have social media,” he said.

“We received word that there was a possible sighting around our community landfill moments ago.”

Schmegelsky and McLeod are wanted over the murders of Australian backpacker Lucas Fowler, 23, his American girlfriend Chynna Deese, 24, and university professor Leonard Dyck, 64, on highways in British Columbia this month.

As authorities shifted the search from Gillam to York Landing, RCMP Manitoba issued an advance warning for locals to expect a sudden and heavy police presence in their area.

Over the weekend, police carried out a door knock in Gillam, where the teen’s last known getaway car was found abandoned and torched in dense bushland near a rail line in Gillam last Monday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police searched every room of every house in the tiny town of 1,200 people, as well as hundreds of abandoned buildings in the area.

Police are working on the theory that after the teens torched the small SUV they used to cross the country, they can’t have got far. Police believe they are either hiding in town or on the outskirts — a swampy area known to be particularly inhospitable.

Locals say conditions are brutal, and the suspects, if on foot and unprepared, would have difficulty surviving. A number of bears have been spotted by officers canvassing the area.

Military aircraft were called in over the weekend to join a fleet of vehicles including armoured cars. Drones are flying overhead and tracker dogs are leading officers on the ground.

Police have received more than 200 tips from members of the public that suggest Schmegelsky and McLeod are still in Gillam, but they have not ruled out the possibility the teens altered their appearances and slipped out of the region altogether.

What we know about their journey so far is they quit their jobs at Walmart in Port Alberni on the country’s west coast and made purchases for a 1700km drive to Yukon territory on July 12.

They told family they were looking to make some “real money”. They travelled to Whitehorse, where they contacted relatives before they fell off the radar.

On the night of July 14 or the morning of July 15, police say Schmegelsky and McLeod murdered Mr Fowler and Ms Deese. They dumped the pair’s bodies in a grassy area next to their broken down Chevrolet van.