Victims of fatal Langley, B.C., shootings were homeless, outreach worker confirms
The victims of the deadly shootings in Langley, B.C., early Monday morning were living on the street.
Outreach worker Kimberly Snow confirmed to CTV News hours later that she knew both victims.
“I cried (when I found out), because I saw them last Wednesday,” she said.
Snow, who owns and operates Kim’z Angels, a volunteer-based organization providing food and clothing to Langley’s homeless population, said the community is in shock.
“These two are just amazing souls that come get food and get clothes. You chat with them and hear their stories. They become part of your family,” she said.
One of the victims had planned on leaving Langley soon, in hopes of a starting a new chapter.
“One of them wanted to leave from here and go back to where she’s from to start all over again,” explained Snow. “That was a conversation I think we had three weeks ago.”
Langley City Mayor Val van den Broek said homelessness has reached crisis levels in the city. She estimates more than 300 people are currently living on the street, despite Langley having the third-highest number of subsidized housing units of all cities in Metro Vancouver. Van den Broek says the province’s approach to curbing homelessness isn’t working.
“The Housing First program was such a good idea, but if we’re not building enough housing to house people, what’s the new plan?”
Snow added roughly 150 unhoused people’s quality of life improved when they were placed in a hotel at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Snow says all of them have since gone back to living on the streets.
“If you’ve got mental health and drug addiction problems and you’re living on the street, how are you going to get better?” said van den Broek.
The mayor is calling on federal and provincial governments to fund and build housing initiatives faster, as she anticipates the number of unhoused people in the city to rise amid a skyrocketing cost of living.
Meanwhile, Snow said the deadly gun violence draws attention to the harsh reality of society’s most vulnerable population. Her fear is the stigma around homelessness will cause people to dismiss the victims as expendable.
“They (can be) somebody’s mom, dad, mother, brother or sister,” she said. “They’re beautiful people. They’re suffering souls.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.