'I might shoot Hannas in the head,' accused wrote the morning of Iqaluit homicide
CBC
Warning: This story contains details some readers may find upsetting.
The night Hannas Braun was shot and killed in Iqaluit in 2019, Wayne Panipakoocho allegedly told his girlfriend he would be the one to do it.
Panipakoocho, 22, is facing a first-degree murder charge in relation to Braun's death. He was initially charged with second-degree murder, but the charge was later upgraded. The criminal code defines first-degree murder as a homicide that is planned and deliberate. Panipakoocho has pleaded not guilty.
While investigating Braun's death, RCMP officers seized an iPod belonging to Panipakoocho's girlfriend at the time.
Crown prosecutors entered into evidence Facebook messages between her and Panipakoocho from the time period around Braun's killing.
Investigators also obtained data from Panipakoocho's Facebook account, which contained the same messages.
RCMP also seized a cellphone belonging to Dennis Ipeelie, a friend of Braun and Panipakoocho. Together, the three allegedly stole guns from a shack in Apex the morning of the shooting — although Ipeelie has already pleaded guilty to stealing the guns and breaking into the shack.
It is alleged one of those stolen guns, a .270-calibre Ruger M77, was used to kill Braun.
The morning of the shooting, Panipakoocho and his girlfriend were messaging each other about the health of their relationship. The conversation turned once Panipakoocho began talking about the number of people in the house he was in.
Earlier in the trial, the court heard Panipakoocho, his female cousin, and Braun were at Panipakoocho's aunt's house in Iqaluit. The court also heard recordings where Panipakoocho told police his cousin wanted Braun to leave after Braun made unwanted sexual advances toward her, and recordings where Panipakoocho told police he was very intoxicated the morning of Braun's death.
In the Facebook messages, Panipakoocho writes "King is here. King of Iqaluit. King pin," in apparent reference to Braun.
"I'm about to shoot someone if he doesn't get out. F---ing king pin," Panipakoocho writes, before sending a picture of himself lying down with the alleged murder weapon.
"I have a chance right now. Don't call cops. Because it will get worse."
Similar exchanges go on for several minutes, including one that references the calibre of the gun used to shoot Braun.
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