Engaged couple shot dead fleeing landlord after house dispute near Hamilton, Ont., police say
A “truly innocent” engaged couple was shot dead while attempting to flee their attacker outside their home after a landlord-tenant dispute escalated on Saturday night, according to Hamilton police.
Officers said a 27-year-old female and 28-year-old male who were engaged to be married were shot dead outside their residence at 322 Jones Rd., near Barton Street, in Stoney Creek, on Saturday at around 5:40 p.m. after a disagreement surrounding issues within the house.
"These are not people that this should happen to, they're not involved in any level of criminality or lifestyle that may lead to an incident like this. They're truly innocent," Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk said on Sunday.
He said the woman was an educational assistant for the Catholic school board in Brant County, while the man worked as an electrician in Hamilton.
"(They were) both hardworking people, adding to the tragedy of this event," Bereziuk said, adding that no one involved in this incident was known to police.
On Saturday night, the building’s 57-year-old landlord had barricaded himself in the residence with multiple guns that were registered to him, including handguns and long rifles, according to police.
At approximately 10 p.m., there was an exchange of gunfire between the man and a police officer after hours of attempted negotiations, according to a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) release Sunday.
The man was struck and pronounced deceased at the scene. His death is now under investigation by the SIU, Ontario's police watchdog.
More than a dozen investigators and officials have been appointed to the case, the SIU said.
'OUT OF CHARACTER'
Sandra Chaisson, a resident of more than four decades in the area of the incident, said the landlord bought the house on Jones Road from her grandparents.
“He was very quiet. A very quiet man. I didn't see him much, just to wave hello, but I haven't seen him for a long time,” she said.
“The tenants were in the basement, but I didn't know them, just to see them at the mailbox kind of thing,” she said, adding that the incident seemed “out of character.”
Chaisson said she was watching TV a little after 10 p.m. when she heard six to eight rapid shots fired. “It was rather scary,” she said. “It’s a shock to all of us.”
At around 10:30 p.m., police asked people in the vicinity to “shelter in their basement as a safety precaution” as negotiators communicated with the suspect “in an attempt to peacefully resolve the incident.”
Hours later, just before 1 a.m., Hamilton police said in a tweet that the situation had been “contained.”
“There is no ongoing risk to public safety. Police will remain in the area for sometime as we continue to investigate. Please continue to avoid the area,” they wrote.
Police said at one point during the negotiations, the man fired at their armoured vehicle. “The suspect later fired additional rounds, which resulted in an interaction with police,” Hamilton police said.
The families of both victims have been notified, but for now the names of the victims are not being released, police said.
Investigators are asking witnesses or anyone with information about the incident to contact Det. Robert DiIanni at 905-546-3836, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault
Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
RCMP boss expresses desire for new law to deal with threats against politicians
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme says he wants the government to look at drafting a new law that would make it easier for police to pursue charges against people who threaten elected officials.