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
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.