THUNDER BAY, ON - Hundreds of people gathered at Chapples Park on Friday afternoon to honour the memory of Braiden Jacob, five days after the body of the Webequie First Nation teen was found.
In an extremely tense and emotional ceremony, Jacob’s family members and friends formed a circle near the spot his body was found, and said their final good-byes to the 17-year-old, whose found last Sunday, three days after he was reported missing to police.
The circumstances surrounding his death are now being treated as a homicide investigation.
Jacob was in Thunder Bay accessing trauma and grief counselling services.
Ronnie Beaver - a relative of Jacob -- began the ceremony by thanking everyone for attending. He mentioned Jacob’s mother and grandmother were in attendance.
The police tape, which sectioned off parts of the park just a few days ago, could be seen lying around a short perimeter where the ceremony was held.
Beaver said it was a custom of Anishinabe people to grieve together, as they all experience the loss of life in a communal way.
After a long moment of silence, Jacob’s family members began to sing, their voices heard trembling with each line. Some family members wept throughout.
As more songs were performed, candles were lit and placed near the inside of the circle.
The family told media ahead of the ceremony they would not be conducting interviews at this time.
A GoFundMe drive has been launched for the Jacob family and Webequie First Nation with a goal of raising $100,000 for funeral costs and grief and trauma costs.
