Grandmother of shooting victim was told he killed himself, court hears

Manslaughter suspect Rylen Heavenfire told his grandmother that his dead brother had shot himself, court heard Tuesday.

And Donna Rowan testified the widow of Randen Heavenfire did not suggest otherwise when the two showed up at her Tsuut'ina Nation home on Oct. 25, 2019.

Rowan, grandmother to the two brothers, said Gabrielle De Loof was hysterical and crying, and wasn't able to give her any information about the incident when they arrived home around dusk that day.

“They just came rushing in,” Rowan said of her grandson, Rylan, and Randen's common-law wife.

She said they both seemed in shock.

“He said something like, `Randen shot himself,'” Rowan told a 12-member Calgary Court of King's Bench jury.

Rowan then drove the pair to the scene, making a brief stop at her sister's to tell her what happened to determine the extent of her grandson's injuries.

“They were in shock and Gabrielle was crying,” she said of the chaotic incident.

She told Crown prosecutor Vince Pingitore she was unable to determine their level of sobriety because of their agitated states.

Rowan said she called 911 as they were arriving at the area where Randen's body was left after he'd been struck with a shotgun blast to the face.

“When we got to the scene, as I was driving in, I was already talking to them,” she told defence lawyer Steve Wojick.

“I think I said, `my grandson shot himself.'”

She told Wojick that De Loof was in the back seat of her truck as she spoke to emergency services.

“Did Gabrielle say anything at that time?” Wojick asked.

“Not that I can remember,” Rowan said.

“I was trying to talk to her, but she wouldn't respond. She was too busy crying.”

De Loof testified Monday that she was with them when the brothers got into an argument while in the woods hunting with their uncle, Ian Heavenfire.

“I think Randen just asked if he could get shot in the face … he just said, like, `Why don't you just shoot me in the face?'” De Loof said.

“What happens after Randen ... makes that statement?” Pingitore asked.

“He got shot in the face,” De Loof said.

In his opening address to jurors on Monday, Pingitore said Rylan Heavenfire told police he was consuming alcohol and was at times blackout drunk that night, and recalled his brother asked, “So what, are you going to shoot me?” just before the shotgun blast that killed his brother.