Preliminary hearing scheduled for woman charged in central Alberta homicide

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for a central Alberta woman charged in a Maskwacis, Alta. homicide this year. 

Shaunelle Okeymow, 33, a resident of the Louis Bull Tribe, is scheduled to find out if her case has enough evidence to go to trial in Wetaskiwin Court of Justice on Dec. 23, 2026. 

It was on March 19, 2026, at 6:51 a.m., when Maskwacis RCMP were dispatched to a residence on the Ermineskin First Nation for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, Mounties located 29-year-old Shane Buffalo, deceased inside the residence from an apparent gunshot wound.  

RCMP say their investigation identified a possible suspect who had fled the scene with a firearm. According to police, resources were called in to assist in the search, including officers from RCMP Traffic Services, Wetaskiwin RCMP, Maskwacis RCMP, Central Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit, RCMP Police Dog Services and the Emergency Response Team.