Alberta RCMP say the five-year-old child who was shot and killed while he slept in his bed at the Samson Cree First Nation early Monday is the chief's grandson.

The boy was killed when he was struck by a bullet that was fired into his home on the reservation, which has been plagued by gang-related violence for years. Chief Marvin Yellowbird attended the news conference during which police made the stunning announcement.

While the child's name is not being released pending notification of other family members, Yellowbird acknowledged that the boy was his grandson.

"It is a tragic day for the Yellowbird family, as well as the community," a somber Yellowbird told reporters.

Police also announced that an adult female sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the incident. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Earlier Monday, Highway 611, the main road that runs through the reservation, was blocked off to prevent local residents from travelling through the crime scene.

RCMP Supt. Curtis Zablocki told reporters that investigators are following up on all leads "and have not ruled out possible gang activity."

Sgt. Tim Taniguchi added that investigators are on heightened alert for potential retaliation for Monday's incident.

"That's always a concern and always a possibility," Taniguchi said. "We're doing everything to ensure the public safety within this community."

Taniguchi also revealed that shots were fired at another home about 90 minutes before the fatal shooting. Investigators will probe whether the two incidents are linked, he said.

Samson Cree First Nation is about 100 kilometres south of Edmonton near the town of Hobbema. The shooting is the latest in a string of violent and deadly incidents on the reservation.

In April 2008, Asia Saddleback was injured in a drive-by shooting while she was sitting at the kitchen table of her family's home. The toddler, who was not yet two years old at the time, recovered from the incident, but doctors could not remove the bullet that pierced her abdomen and is now lodged near her spine.

In the wake of that shooting, the band introduced a number of measures aimed at reducing crime and specifically gang violence, including a nightly curfew for teenagers.

But drive-by shootings have continued to plague the reservation, including the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy.

At the time of Saddleback's shooting, a local community response team was struggling to address the violence wrought by local gangs. Dozens of arrests had been made for gun-related and drug activity.

Zablocki said there have been fewer violent incidents in the community since the Saddleback shooting.

However, the reserve needs "short-term, medium-term and long-term plans and strategies" to get a better handle on criminal activity, he said. According to Zablocki, six known gangs operate in the Hobbema area.

On Monday, police appealed to members of the public to come forward with any information about the shooting.

"The investigation into this horrid event is only at a preliminary stage," Yellowbird said. "However, Samson chief and council stand ready to do all things necessary to ensure that the perpetrators of this unspeakable crime are brought to justice."

An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday morning in Edmonton.