Mounties tight-lipped after double homicide in Richmond, B.C. Friday night

Mounties are still at a home where two people were shot dead in a residential area of Richmond Friday night, the bodies laid out and clearly visible to stunned onlookers.

The homicides are not linked to alleged criminal harassment of another family in the neighbourhood, though the family says they heard the gunshots.

When CTV News Vancouver arrived at the scene Friday, a tarp had just been placed over one body next to a white Tesla SUV with its wing door still open, while another body was covered next to a white RV in the driveway of the home in the city’s Terra Nova neighbourhood.

One witness arrived just as Mounties got on scene, having heard the gunshots a couple blocks away. He described a man and a woman dead on the road and driveway.

“They had the shooter apparently trapped in the house,” said Danny Duncan. “The cop said we have him surrounded and everything is under control.”

Richmond RCMP said in a news release that its officers “received a report of two victims suffering from gunshot wounds” around 8:40 p.m. When CTV News asked if there was a suspect in custody, Mounties referred questions to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which would not comment.

Police added in their release that “there is no concern for public safety” as a result of the incident, and said IHIT remained at the scene on Saturday.

A neighbour said he’d seen unusual police activity in the area earlier in the day.

“Late (Friday) morning I saw four police cars with sirens charging this way in this neighbourhood, and so I suspect the police know there’s something going on in this neighbourhood,” said Keith Lang, who also heard the shooting that night.

“I’m pretty familiar with weapons,” he said. “I’m an old soldier, and I couldn’t identify if it was a pistol, shotgun, but it was two distinct reports: bang, bang.”

FAMILY EXPERIENCING ALLEGED CRIMINAL HARASSMENT IS SAFE

There are social media rumours that the home where the shooting occurred is the same one where a woman and her family have faced repeated harassment from a man facing criminal charges. Those rumours are not accurate, the family said Saturday.

“Everything is fine, the person who’s been bothering us is in jail until at least July 21, so we’re good, we’re safe,” said Koszima Mair during an in-person interview with CTV News.

For the past 13 months, she’s faced ongoing harassment at her Terra Nova home from a local man now facing charges for breaching an order to stay away from her.

“It’s a little unsettling that people thought maybe I could’ve been involved in this, but it is really nice to know that people care and are worried about us and my family,” Mair said.

Police have not shared any information about the victims of Friday’s shooting, and IHIT indicates no new information is forthcoming Saturday.

Source: CTV News