Two people were killed and another man was critically injured in Tuesday’s shooting in a remote Yukon town, RCMP confirmed Wednesday.
Police said in a statement that they were originally called to investigate a domestic dispute in Faro before they received further reports of gunfire.
The incident led to officials ordering residents to shelter in place for nearly two hours. A suspect was arrested shortly afterwards.
The suspect, identified in court documents as Ralph Shaw, appeared by phone in a Whitehouse court to be charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault.
A Yukon Supreme Court judge scheduled his next court appearance for Nov. 3.
Documents filed with the court on Wednesday say the first-degree murder charges relate to the deaths of Patrick McCracken, 73, and Saenduean Honchaiyaphum, 42.
Police said during a news conference that another man was being treated for critical injuries and is in stable condition.
Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard of Yukon RCMP said police presume the suspect and victims knew each other but he wouldn’t discuss a specific relationship.
He said in a statement RCMP members first found the critically injured man in a home in the town, and that the suspect had already left when police arrived.
Police then attended another home where they found the 42-year-old woman unresponsive.
Soon after calling in for backup in the surrounding communities, police confronted the suspect and he was taken into custody without incident, the statement said.
Police conducted well-being checks in surrounding homes and that’s when they found the 73-year-old man dead, it said.
“This is a tragic situation for the town of Faro and the Yukon as a whole,” Sheppard’s statement said.
“No community, no matter how large or small, ever wants to endure this type of event. It will be important as we move through this difficult period to keep the residents of Faro and all those persons impacted by these events, in our hearts and minds and to assist them wherever we can.”
Yukon Premier Sandy Silver said Wednesday the entire territory is thinking of the residents of Faro.
“This is a very sad time in the Yukon,” he said at a news conference. He added that the territory will be providing psychological services to affected residents.
Two people are also named in the two counts of attempted murder, which allegedly involved the use of a firearm.
Mounties on Wednesday would not say what type of weapon was used in the shooting.
— with files from the Canadian Press