CHILLIWACK, B.C. -- RCMP say a man is dead and a woman has life-threatening injuries after a shooting that happened across the street from a Chilliwack, B.C., elementary school.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has now taken over the case and says the man and woman are known to each other. They aren’t saying if this is an attempted murder-suicide, but they do say they are not looking for further suspects.
RCMP were called to a home in a townhouse complex in the 45000-block of Watson Road around 8:30 Thursday morning after a report of shots fired.
Officers arriving on scene found a woman suffering life-threatening injuries and a man who had succumbed to his injuries.
The incident happened across the street from Watson Elementary School around the time classes would normally be starting. The school was put into “hold and secure” and the field was turned into a landing zone for an air ambulance.
“The female was airlifted to a regional hospital where she remains in serious condition facing life-threatening injuries,” Chilliwack Sgt. Krista Vrolyk said.
“Evidence gathered to date indicate this is an isolated incident between people who knew each other and there was no threat to public safety,” the officer explained.
She said the school remained in “hold and secure” even after it was determined there was no safety risk to the school because the air ambulance needed the field.
One neighbour says she heard a “pop or bang” this morning, but didn’t realize what it was initially.
“I’m shocked. I’ve lived in this complex since I was three years old,” Samantha Britch told CTV News.
“This complex is full of children.”
She says there is a teenager who lives at the home in question and that it’s not the first time police have been here.
“On Easter, there was about three… police cars that responded to I believe just a disturbance but I’m not sure the details on that,” she said.
She calls the incident “tragic.”
