MELFORT, Sask. — A Saskatchewan man who was arrested in Alberta after being wanted in connection with a shooting has been released on bail following a hearing in Melfort Provincial Court on Sept. 30.
The charges against Christopher Ernest, 26, are being handled by Meadow Lake Provincial Court but were moved to Melfort court for the bail hearing. The case has now been waived back to Meadow Lake to be spoken to on Oct. 29.
Ernest was wanted by Meadow Lake RCMP for a shooting on Waterhen Lake First Nation in June. Police say they responded to a report of an altercation between a group of individuals where shots were fired. A man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Ernest was arrested in Sherwood Park, Alta., in July 2025 and charged with firearm-related offences. He remained in custody in Alberta to face numerous charges in Sherwood Park, and in Calgary dating back to 2023.
On Oct. 29, 2025, in an Alberta court, five charges were withdrawn and Ernest pleaded guilty to five others. He was given a global jail sentence of 195 days, minus 175 days credit for time served. With his Alberta charges resolved, Ernest was then transported back to Saskatchewan.
Parole documents describe Ernest as a street gang member with a violent history. In April 2021 he was involved in a rival-gang confrontation that escalated to a shooting, injuring a bystander with shattered glass. He was arrested the next day.
One week later, while on a conditional sentence, he breached conditions, fled police in a vehicle that dragged an officer, and was caught hiding under a car. A firearm linked to the earlier shooting was found nearby. Phone messages also showed plans to shoot another person in the kneecaps. He briefly escaped while on remand before being recaptured.
In February 2023, while on statutory release, police found him driving a stolen vehicle at high speeds in a dangerous manner. He stopped only after the vehicle became stuck in deep snow. He resisted arrest, and a search of the stolen vehicle uncovered firearms, a knife, and ammunition.
He previously fled Meadow Lake Provincial Court in April 2021, while appearing on weapons and assault charges and was later apprehended in Edmonton.
