‘It is very shocking’: Tiny community of Needles, B.C. mourns after two men fatally shot

Area residents in the small rural community of Needles, B.C., located about 60 kilometres south of Nakusp in the West Kootenay region, are grieving after two men were found dead.

Local residents have identified the two men involved as 83-year-old Ron Volansky and 58-year-old Roy Bugera.

Edgewood resident Lori Ukkonen said Volansky was a businessman and lived in the community with his wife for decades.

“Just shock, absolute shock, I think the whole community is very in shock. The gentleman involved is the pillar of the community and has been here for years, almost related to everyone, so it is just very sad.”

Photographs of the two homes where Volansky and Bugera were found deceased. 

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Area residents say the neighbours were in a dispute over water, although it is not known what led to the shooting.

The bodies of the two men were discovered at two separate residences on the same street on Monday Dec. 18 at around 5:30 p.m.

RCMP say both men suffered fatal gunshot wounds, although authorities are not confirming at this time if it was a murder-suicide.

“Investigators are not looking for further suspects at this time,” said a police statement issued by Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.

Ukkonen laments that the tragedy occurred right before Christmas.

“It makes it doubly worse because whenever there is holiday involved with a tragedy, it just comes out so much more,” she said.

“We are a small community and things like that just don’t happen here… it is very shocking.”