Tensions run high at vigil for Langley, B.C., shooting victims

A small memorial is growing in Langley, B.C., for the victims of this week’s deadly shooting rampage.

Two people were killed, two others injured, and community members believe they were mostly homeless.

Advocates held a vigil in their honour Tuesday night outside of Cascades Casino, where it’s believed the first victim was shot.

A woman who goes by the name Mistee says she knew the victims for more than a decade.

“They were harmless, they wouldn’t hurt anyone,” said Mistee.

She says Langley’s street community is tight-knit and is still in shock.

“I was sitting not far away from the female that got shot so seeing that really hit home,” she told CTV News.

Dozens attended the vigil, including those in the street community who knew the victims like family.

“It’s just disbelief and real sadness,” said Alyssa Cappon, who helped organize the event.

Cappon says her and her mother both have close ties to the vulnerable population in Langley.

“I actually moved onto the street when I was really young and I’m in recovery myself for drug addiction. So for my mom, the homeless population kind of represents it could be me,” said Cappon.

However, just minutes into the vigil, a woman interrupted the event by yelling at the crowd.

Emotions then reached a boiling point after a man, claiming to be the son of one of the victims, confronted her.

He was angry and distraught and was eventually restrained as she left.

"I think we have a community that's divided," said Cappon. “It’s just really really hard to watch people that are not struggling try and comment about things that they’re going through, so I understand 100 per cent what happened in terms of emotions and volatility."

Another family member of one of the victims, who didn’t want to be identified, had a message to the parents of the suspected gunman Jordan Goggin, who was killed by police.

“I want them to know that we don’t blame them at all. They had a son with problems and we had a son with problems and we want them to know that we don’t blame them,” she said, her voice full of emotion.

The RCMP and IHIT held a community outreach event to offer support to those who’ve been impacted Monday afternoon.

The shooting left three men dead including the shooter, one woman in critical condition and another man with non-life threatening injuries.

Those who are struggling or looking for resources can still call RCMP’s Victim Services at 604-532-3214.