An early Sunday morning shooting in Winnipeg, Man. left four people dead and one person severely injured in a residence on the 100 block of Langside Street.
Winnipeg police responded to the report of multiple injured people at approximately 4:05 a.m. according to a press release.
An adult male and an adult female were pronounced dead at the scene, and three additional victims, two males and a female, were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
One of the male victims succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival, and the second adult female died the following evening. A 55-year-old male remains in the hospital in critical condition.
The victims have been identified as Crystal Shannon Beardy (34), Stephanie Amanda Beardy (33), Melelek Leseri Lesikel (29), and Dylan Maxwell Lavallee (41). According to the Winnipeg Police Service, all of the victims were known to the police prior to the incident.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, police could not say whether the shooting was targeted, though they believe there is no continuing risk to the public.
Insp. Jennifer McCann, the divisional commander of major crimes, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
“I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the Winnipeg Police Service and myself to offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and all who knew the victims in this time a loss,” she said during the press conference.
Chief Danny Smyth emphasized the seriousness of the incident and assured the community that the police would do everything in their power to uncover the motives and apprehend those responsible. As of yet, no suspects have been identified.
“We’re focused on identifying and apprehending the suspect responsible for the crime. That work has already commenced with significant effort, canvasses in the neighborhood that occurred yesterday,” Smyth told reporters.
According to Smyth, residents of the area can expect an increased police presence and forensic team activity.
“We also know that almost 20% of violent crimes are committed by people who are on bail or on probation. And our violent offenders unit will be working hard to apprehend offenders that have breached the conditions of the release. We don’t know the suspect in this case,” said Smyth. Smyth did not provide any details on whether the guns used were obtained legally or illegally.
The Winnipeg Police Service urged anyone with information or video surveillance footage related to the incident to contact the Homicide Unit at 204-986-6508 or Crimestoppers at 204-786-TIPS. The investigation is expected to be ongoing, with forensic examinations continuing for up to a week.
