Indigenous Community Responds to the Shooting Death of 16-Year-Old Boy

"A lot of times kids will fall through the cracks and the system."

DULUTH, Minn. – One day after a 16-year-old boy, Auso Dufault, was found dead from a gunshot wound in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Duluth police have not determined if the shooting was criminal or self-inflicted.

Dufault is the same person charged as an adult with two felonies for allegedly robbing and shooting at a female April 23 on the same block he was found dead.  The female victim told police one of the shots Dufault fired grazed her head. She suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, Duluth’s indigenous community is responding to the death of Dufault, who was out on bond at the time of the incident.

They held a traditional smudge walk Tuesday through Lincoln Park to remember this young man as the person many people knew him to be.

A smudge walk is a ritual to clear negativity and welcome peace.

Through this, the indigenous community wanted to provide healing and show that Auso was more than just his mugshot.

Nearly 50 people stood on the corner of 21st Ave West and Third Street to witness the indigenous ritual, leading up to the remembrance walk of Auso Dufault.

Family and close friends could be seen crying over the loss of the young man.

Those close to Auso say he was better than his criminal background.

They describe him as a kind and loving person.

But they say young indigenous men are often faced with many challenges.

“For years we didn’t have people to show our young men to be young indigenous men,” said Taysha Martineau, and organizer of the walk.

“When you move forward and struggling to change your life, there are those society standards in the back of your head in what it means to be a man,” Martineau explains.

Others in attendance say knowing the challenges, there needs to be more ways to prevent children from leading a life of crime.

“A lot of times kids will fall through the cracks and the system,” says Fond du Lac Human Services Crime Advocate Rozanne Hicks.

“We go to look at that. We got to look at how we can be there for our children. What can we do? How can we be there,” Hicks continues.

Those who knew Auso say he grew up in the foster care system.

He was also making plans to get his GED.

Auso would have turned 17 in a few days.