A 29-year-old man from Carman, Manitoba is facing five first-degree murder charges, that include the deaths of his three small children.

Ryan Manoakeesick was arrested Sunday morning at the scene of a vehicle fire where the bodies of his 6-year-old and two-and-a-half old daughters and their four-year-old brother were located. The body of a 30-year-old woman–Manoakeesick s common-law wife—-was discovered in a vehicle at another location, while the woman’s 17-year-old niece was found in a home in Carman where they all had been living.

Other details are not being made public due to the ongoing investigation, RCMP Inspector Tim Arsenault said as to the “why”, they are working on that but it’s going to take time and the RCMP want to get it right.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew also spoke at the RCMP news conference and said, “This is pure darkness. But I want to say to the people of Manitoba that we are not helpless in the face of darkness. We can take action and work together to protect the vulnerable, we can offer comfort, we can offer support.

The Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba First Nations, Kathy Merrick says “we only get one chance at life. We have to respect it”