Man charged in Penticton, B.C., mass shooting to plead guilty: defence

A lawyer for the man accused of perpetrating a mass shooting in Penticton announced his client intends to enter guilty pleas to four counts Monday.

John Brittain, 68, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder after a quadruple homicide in Penticton on April 15, 2019.

The victims — Rudi Winter, Barry and Susan Wonch, and Darlene Knippelberg — were all neighbours of the accused’s ex-wife.

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Police confirmed Brittain knew all of the victims but have not said what the motive for the shootings might have been.

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Defence counsel told the court his client is intending to plead guilty on what was supposed to be the first day of Brittain’s four-week trial.

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Brittain is expected to formally enter the guilty pleas when he appears in court on Oct. 14.

— with files from Shelby Thom and Jules Knox