Police identify engaged couple shot dead after dispute with landlord near Hamilton

Hamilton police have identified the couple allegedly shot and killed by their landlord at their Stoney Creek residence last weekend.

On Tuesday, police said 27-year-old Carissa MacDonald of Stoney Creek and 28-year-old Aaron Stone of Hamilton were the victims of the May 27 shooting, which allegedly stemmed from a dispute with their landlord.

MacDonald and Stone were fatally shot outside as they were fleeing the home in the area of Jones Road and Barton Street, police said.

"The families of both victims are requesting privacy at this time," Hamilton police said in a release on Tuesday.

27-year-old Carissa MacDonald (left) and 28-year-old Aaron Stone of Hamilton have been identified as the victims of a deadly shooting in Stoney Creek, Ont. (Hamilton Police Service)

Few details have been released about the alleged dispute between the landlord and the couple, who lived in the residence’s basement, but police had said that the victims were "truly innocent."

MacDonald was an education assistant for the Catholic school board in Brant County, while Stone was an electrician in Hamilton.

"As you can well imagine, 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," said Detective Sergeant Steve Bereziuk on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the landlord, a 57-year-old man, was fatally shot by police during an exchange of gunfire, concluding an hours-long standoff on Saturday evening that began after he barricaded himself inside the home.

Police and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) have not released the man's name. The SIU said the family requested that he not be identified.

However, property records obtained by CTV News Toronto reveal the home has been owned by Terry Brekka since 2003. A family member on Monday said Brekka was a steelworker who was estranged from some relatives and wasn't known to have guns.

27-year-old Carissa MacDonald (left) and 28-year-old Aaron Stone of Hamilton have been identified as the victims of a deadly shooting in Stoney Creek, Ont. (Hamilton Police Service)

A post-mortem examination was conducted on the man on Tuesday, the SIU said in an update.

The agency, which is investigating the interaction between the man and Hamilton police, also said that investigators had collected five firearms and one police-issued firearm from the home.

All six firearms will be sent to the Centre of Forensic Sciences for examination. Investigators also retrieved video footage, the SIU said, adding that the scene is still being held.

"A canvass of the area in an attempt to locate evidence and potential witnesses is ongoing," the agency said.

There are six investigators and four forensic investigators designated to the case as well as one subject official and seven witness officials.

The SIU, which investigates conduct of police that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person, is urging anyone who may have information to contact investigators at 1-800-787-8529 or https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php.

- with files from Joanna Lavoie and Hannah Alberga