Scarborough man facing murder charges in Fort Erie shooting of 2 women

Police have arrested a Scarborough man in connection with the shooting deaths of two young women attending a party at a Fort Erie Airbnb rental.

Homicide detectives say the accused made his first court appearance on Thursday in St. Catharines and is facing two first-degree murder charges in the deaths of 20-year-old Juliana Pannunzio and 18-year-old Christine Crooks.

“The Niagara Regional Police Service would like to thank the Pannunzio and Crooks families for their patience and understanding during this lengthy investigation,” detectives said in a release.

“Police would also like to thank members of the public for their cooperation and assistance.”

Pannunzio of Windsor and Christine Crooks of Toronto were fatally shot on Jan. 19 while attending a party at a Fort Erie residence.

Investigators say multiple people from outside the Niagara region attended the gathering, but no one remained at the scene when officers arrived.

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“We have identified the person who rented the Airbnb, and we can confirm that they hosted a birthday party for one of the attendees on the night of the murders,” Staff Sgt. Steve Magistrale said in a July update.

“Investigators have identified most of the people at the party that night. Some of them have been spoken to and provided valuable information. However, others simply refused to co-operate.”

In June, Niagara police offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The amount was doubled in July after an appeal from family members in a Niagara police video.

Christopher Lucas, 22, from Scarborough has been charged with the murders of both Pannunzio and Crooks.

Lucas was arrested with the help of six regional police services, including Toronto police and the OPP.

“The investigation into this matter remains ongoing. No further information is being released at this time,” Niagara police said in their statement.