Saanich, B.C., gunman's Instagram account featured rifles, anti-government hashtags
An Instagram account belonging to one of the two gunmen killed in a shootout at a bank in Saanich, B.C., this week paints a picture of a young man who believed gun ownership was a necessary response to government "tyranny."
CTV News Vancouver Island has confirmed that the now-deleted account @isaacauchterlonie867 belonged to Isaac Auchterlonie, one of the two 22-year-old gunmen killed by police Tuesday.
At a news conference Saturday, police identified Isaac and his twin brother Mathew Auchterlonie as the two men killed in a shootout with police at the Bank of Montreal on Shelbourne Street in Saanich.
Before the Instagram account was taken down, the bio read: "Canadian. Patriot. WW2 Pacific war enthusiast. Nature. Firearms."
The content of the posts reflected these interests. Interspersed with beauty shots of B.C. nature and clips from Second World War documentaries were numerous photos of guns and ammunition.
There were also videos of Auchterlonie firing rifles in the woods, often accompanied by anti-government hashtags.
There were also videos of Auchterlonie firing rifles in the woods, often accompanied by anti-government hashtags.
In one post that seems particularly troubling in retrospect, Auchterlonie shared clips from a documentary about the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, in which two heavily armed people robbed a bank and injured more than a dozen people during a 44-minute standoff with police.
The Auchterlonie brothers injured six police officers during their shootout this week. Three remained in hospital as of Thursday.
Auchterlonie's Instagram post about the North Hollywood incident was posted on the event's anniversary and captioned only with "24 years ago today" and some hashtags.
Another post on the account expressed opposition to COVID-19 vaccination and contrasted it with gun control legislation.
"When they try to give vaccine and they also try and take guns," the post read, followed by the hashtags #tryandtakeit and #getwhatyoudeserve, as well as one directing profanity at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Another post on the account expressed opposition to COVID-19 vaccination and contrasted it with gun control legislation.
Police said Saturday that the motive for the Saanich robbery and shooting remains unknown.
"There are still many questions and investigation efforts that need to take place in order to fully understand what took place and why," said BC RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Alex Bérubé during the news conference.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.