SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO, CANADA – A horrifying incident unfolded in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where Canadian authorities discovered five individuals, including three children, dead from gunshot wounds. The tragic event has been described as “an unspeakable tragedy.”
Late on Monday, the disturbing discovery was made in this border city near the junction of three Great Lakes, sharing its border with Michigan. Police had received reports of break-ins, prompting their response.
At the first residence, a 41-year-old individual was found dead from a gunshot wound, while the alleged shooter had fled the scene before the police arrived. A mere ten minutes later, another emergency call led officers to a home located just 2.3 miles away, where they found three lifeless children, aged six, seven, and twelve, alongside the alleged shooter, who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 45-year-old victim was also discovered injured with a gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital.
Sault Police Chief Hugh Stevenson stated that these incidents were linked and were caused by “intimate partner violence.” He expressed his condolences, saying, “Our community is once again faced with the tragic and unnecessary loss of life. The grief the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims are facing is unimaginable.”
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker referred to the shooting as an “unspeakable tragedy” in a social media post.
In their statement, the police urged the public not to call the police’s non-emergency/business line seeking more information about the incidents, emphasizing that updates would be provided as the investigation permitted.
While government data showed a decrease in gun crimes in Canada from 2020 to 2021, shootings have seen an increase from a decade ago.