Residents of a Manitoba community are in shock following an apparent triple homicide and suicide last week, as RCMP continues to investigate.
Four people were found dead in the RM of McCreary on Friday. Investigators said RCMP found a man with a self-inflicted wound on Road 84 West.
Officers were then asked to conduct a welfare check on a 37-year-old woman. When they arrived at her home, she was not found.
A short time later, police went to a nearby home and found the bodies of a 66-year-old woman, a 65-year-old man, and a 35-year-old man. The three deaths are being investigated as homicides.
The missing woman was later found safe and taken to a hospital as a precaution.
RCMP have not released the names of the deceased or a potential motive for the killings. They said all involved were known to each other, and they aren’t looking for further suspects.
Speaking with CTV News Winnipeg on Monday, Ralph McLean said he met the two older victims a few years ago and bonded over their enthusiasm for Bombardier snow buses.
He said they had “a lot of good conversations over the years.”
“He was a good guy. I know the community will be missing him 100 per cent,” McLean said.
Trevor Martin was a neighbour of the victims and was shocked to hear about what happened.
“Disbelief, it’s such a tragedy. How do you explain how you feel when you hear about something like that,” said Martin.
He said nothing like this has happened in the community before.
“The whole community is in shock. It’s just so terrible.”
Speaking at an unrelated event in Thompson on Monday, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he talked with McCreary Reeve Rick Sonnenberg to express his condolences and pledge more support.
“There’s investments that we are making, to ensure that there are prevention initiatives in the community, that there are resources for people when they need to seek assistance and, flee, a violent situation, for safety,” he said.
A spokesperson for RCMP said autopsies on the deceased are underway, and an update is expected later this week.
McCreary is located 250 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
