Two victims are dead and two others are seriously injured after a series of shootings in Langley, British Columbia, prompted public emergency alerts Monday.
A suspect was later identified and shot dead by RCMP, ending a series of attacks that police believe were targeting homeless people in the area.
RCMP were called to the central town of Langley and the neighboring town of Langley for reported shootings “in the early morning hours,” according to a statement.
Four victims were shot.
A man was found dead next to the Langley city bus stop at Logan Avenue and Glover Road. Another man was found dead in the nearby Creek Stone Place housing project.
Police also found a woman who had been shot near 203A Street and Fraser Highway. She was taken to hospital in critical condition.
RCMP issued a loud direct-to-cell phone emergency alert to the public describing a suspect and possible suspect vehicle just before 6:20 a.m. PT — the second time in the last year the Alert Ready system has been used for an active shooter scenario in BC
A man matching the suspect’s description was later located near Willowbrook Mall, at 200 Street and the Langley Beltway.
Police shot and killed him after an “interaction,” the statement said.
A fourth victim was found nearby with a gunshot wound to the leg.
“At this time, we do not know the motive behind this fatal incident, nor if there was any connection between the deceased suspect and the victims,” said Cpl. Ghalib Bhayani, Assistant District Commander of the Lower Mainland RCMP.
Earlier in the morning, RCMP told CBC News the suspect had been taken into custody.
Sergeant Rebecca Parslow said the victims were homeless and that police believe the attack was targeted.
RCMP have established several crime scenes just a few kilometers apart: one at Willowbrook Mall, another at the Cascades Casino on Fraser Highway and a third near a thrift store and bus stop on Logan Avenue.
An unmarked black police car was seen in the Willowbrook Mall parking lot with at least nine bullet holes in the windshield and driver’s side window.
A bicycle lay collapsed on the pavement with a blue sleeping bag and other personal belongings strapped to a crate on the back. Outside the casino, a shopping cart and other items were behind yellow police tape.
The initial 911 call described the suspect as a white male with dark hair wearing a brown Carhartt jumpsuit and a teal camouflage T-shirt with a red logo on the right sleeve.
The release said he was involved in a white vehicle. Later in the morning, police were seen checking a white four-door sedan and covering its license plates in the same area where the suspect was shot outside the mall.
An emergency alert of multiple shootings in Langley, BC was sent to residents at 6:19 am PT. (CBC)
Officials sent out a second emergency alert just after 7:20 a.m. PT. It said the suspect was “no longer a threat” but reiterated the need to stay away from the city center as officers ruled out the possibility of multiple suspects.
The city and municipality of Langley is located approximately 40 kilometers southeast of Vancouver.
“My heart breaks,” says the mayor
Langley Township Mayor Val van den Broek was at a loss for words Monday.
“I can’t even explain it. Like I said, it breaks my heart. This is something you never want to see happen in your community. Never, ever,” she said.
“I’m sorry, I’m quite emotional right now,” she added through tears. “I volunteer with the homeless and I know them and it’s also very personal to me.”
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) responded to the incident. British Columbia’s Office of Independent Investigations, which looks into police-related incidents resulting in serious injury or death, was also called in as a result of the suspect’s death.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators, Bhayani said.
RCMP closed 200 Street, a major thoroughfare through downtown, between Willowbrook Mall and the Langley Bypass.
Police have identified the following areas as areas for the public to avoid:
- 200 Street and the Langley Bypass
- Cascades Casino at Fraser Highway and 204 Street
- Langley Bus Circuit at Logan Avenue and Glover Road
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