Teen couple shot to death on Whitefish First Nation to be buried side by side

The young Alberta couple were supposed to move to Slave Lake this week, to start the next chapter in their lives.

Instead, Cory Grey and Dylan Laboucan will spend eternity buried side by side.

"We will be burying them together because they belong together," said Laboucan's mother, Becky Thunder.

The people of Whitefish Lake First Nation, along with friends and family from across Alberta and across the country, have come together this week to mourn two teenagers shot to death on their remote reserve north of Lesser Slave Lake.

They started on Monday evening, with a candlelight vigil held inside a tent to shield them from the rain.

It was very touching.We all came together as a community to remember them, to remember my son and Cory.- Becky Thunder, Dylan Laboucan's mother

"It was very touching," said Thunder. "We all came together as a community to remember them, to remember my son and Cory."

A two-day wake will be held today and Thursday at Atikameg School, followed by a joint funeral on Friday.

Bodies dumped on well sites

Grey lived with Laboucan and his parents in a trailer on the reserve. On Saturday,July 23, Laboucan, 17, was found unconscious in front of that trailerby a cousin who lived nearby. The cousin drove to a nearby home to call 911, and when he returnedLaboucan's body was gone. Grey was nowhere to be found.

The community mobilized within hours to search for the teens. Laboucan was found on Monday, and Grey on Tuesday their bodies dumped on wellsites a few kilometres apart.

RCMP are investigating their deaths as a double homicide.

Dave Hurley travelled from Fort McMurray for this week's services. He taught Laboucan and Grey at Atikameg School from 2012 until 2014.

"When I heard the news, there was no other thought that came into my mind other than, 'I need to be there,'" Hurley said.

Candlelight vigil

Monday's candlelight vigil was held outside the trailer where the young couple lived. People came and went throughout the evening,Hurley said, but there was consistently a crowd of about 60.

"There were tons of vehicles parked all over, on the side of the road, in the field, on the grass," he said. "And everyone was just gathered underneath the tent in small groups, hugging, talking, sharing a few lighthearted laughs."

When it came time to sing hymns, he said, people's voices cracked with emotion. Many of those gathered were moved to tears by a rendition of Hallelujah.

"People were crying," Thunder said. "That song touched our hearts, because Cory and Dylan loved each other so much."

'They had kind of beat all odds'

The young couple were determined to carve out a life for themselves. Both had graduated Grade 12 not a common occurrence, according to Hurley, who said that during the years he taught at Atikameg School only nine students graduated.

"They surrounded themselves with each other," Hurley said. "They were like-minded. They had a goal. They were working towards that."

The two planned to leave the reserve this week for Slave Lake, where they had rented an apartment and had been accepted to attend Northern Lakes College.

"These students were taking advantage of every opportunity that was thrown their way," Hurley said. "They were going to post-secondary school. They had kind of beat all odds.

"In a world filled with tragedy ... sometimes you're not sure what to believe or hear. But without a doubt, Cory and Dylan were remarkable students who had their whole lives ahead of them. And they weren't going to let where they came from hold them back."