MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. -- Three people arrested in connection with an assault that left a 76-year-old man dead have now been charged with second-degree murder.
James 'Jim' Wilson was taken to hospital after being found injured in the 100 block of College Street North on Sunday afternoon. He later died of his injuries.
The same day, three suspects were taken into custody by Sarnia police.
Officials now say those three, all from Sarnia, have each been charged with one count of second-degree murder.
Charged are, Destiny Star Phillips, 26, Brandon Michael Knight, 24, and Donald Albert Shawanoo, 57.
Police say this was an isolated incident and the persons involved were known to each other.
Speaking with CTV News on Monday, James' son Gabriel Wilson said his father was an advocate for Indigenous rights and wanted to live a life without violence, “His life was taking from him, from his grandchildren, from his family."
The victim owned a store in downtown Sarnia called Cowboys + Indians, and a friend of James' said the shop had been broken into multiple times in the past year and that James may have been confronting individuals he thought were responsible. Police have not commented on the circumstances of the incident.
The crime scene has been cleared and the roadway reopened, but police say the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Det. Kent Jamieson at 519-344-8861, ext. 6221 or Sarnia Lambton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
- With files from CTV's Jordyn Read
