Five people were found dead in Sault Ste. Marie, including three children and the alleged killer, after shots were fired in two residences, police revealed Tuesday, calling this tragedy a tragic case of domestic violence.
Sault Ste. Marie said the shots were fired Monday evening and were not random acts of violence, so there is no longer any risk to public safety.
Police said they would not release the identity of the victims or the killer because this is a domestic violence case.
Sault Ste. Marie said she was alerted Monday evening. Officers, who were responding to a call for a break-in into a residence, first discovered the body of a 41-year-old person around 10:20 p.m., police said Tuesday. The shooter appeared to have fled the scene.
But about ten minutes later, police received another call, this time concerning an armed individual in a residence located approximately three kilometers away.
The police then found the bodies of three children – aged six, seven and 12 – in this second home. Officers also found a 45-year-old with a gunshot wound.
Police also say they found the 44-year-old shooter, who appeared to be dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Algoma District School Board, which is mourning the loss of three students in Sault Ste. Marie, announced Tuesday that counselors and support staff were on site in the schools affected by this tragedy.
The mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, Matthew Shoemaker, described this tragedy as an “indescribable tragedy”. “There are no words to adequately address such an enormous loss,” he wrote in a statement.
Police Chief Hugh Stevenson wrote: “The grief faced by the victims’ families, friends and loved ones is unimaginable.”
“As our community mourns this tragedy, I urge everyone to take care of each other. »
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the news from Sault Ste. Married. “This senseless loss of life has left family, friends and an entire community in mourning,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). All of Ontario mourns this tragedy. »
_____
Domestic violence
If you are a victim of domestic violence, you can call the SOS domestic violence emergency line at 1 800 363-9010.
Men with violent behavior can contact the network à coeur d’homme, which supports the prevention of domestic and family violence, at 1 877 660-7799