A Courtenay man has been charged with two counts of murder after two people were shot and killed at a house on Urquhart Avenue in Courtenay early Wednesday.
Comox Valley RCMP said the 42-year-old man, who was arrested at the house, shot himself and was taken to hospital for treatment. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
RCMP did not release the man’s name.
Police have said the person arrested for the shootings knew the victims.
Comox Valley RCMP were called to 2345 Urquhart Ave. about 3 a.m. Wednesday after neighbours heard several gunshots.
Leanne Larocque and her boyfriend Gord Turner, both in their 40s, have been identified by sources as the victims.
Another man arrested at the scene was released without being charge.
A woman who identified herself as Larocque’s sister posted an emotional message on Facebook, along with a photo of Larocque holding her grandchild.
“You will forever be missed and always in our thoughts, memories and hearts,” wrote Carmen Peacey. “I will never fill the gap in my soul.”
Previous story:
Comox Valley RCMP, responding to calls about a shooting at 2345 Urquhart Ave., found a man sitting on the porch with a gun and gunshot wound, sources said.
Inside the house, police found two people dead. They have been identified by sources as Leanne Larocque, who lived in the house, and a man believed to be her boyfriend. They were in their 40s.
Police said the injured man was arrested at the home and was taken to hospital. The man was identified by sources as Mike Simard, who is believed to be Larocque’s former boyfriend.
Another man found at the home was not injured and is in police custody.
All the people involved knew one another, RCMP said. Police are treating the deaths as homicides, but no charges have been laid.
Larocque had posted on Facebook that a man had been harassing her. In October 2015, she posted that the man had broken into her house “again” and stolen a ring.
“Around five after 3 a.m. I heard ‘bang, bang, bang,’ ” said a neighbour who did not want to be named. “I thought someone was hitting the house with a baseball bat.” She said that after listening for a bit, she went back to sleep.
The neighbour said the woman who was killed had not been in the house for long. “She worked in the day so I didn’t see her much,” she said.
Shirley Werseen also lives near the bungalow but said she did not know the tenants. Werseen said the residential street is fairly quiet. “But it’s close to the school so there are lots of kids. … People move in and out because of the air base close by,” she said.
RCMP spokesman Const. Rob Gardner said they are still notifying the victims’ families and will provide more details later. He said officers were interviewing neighbours and the forensic investigation team was also on the scene. Urquhart Avenue was closed between 21st and 26th street for the investigation.
