STRATFORD, ONT. – A shooting in Stratford, Ont., has killed two people, including the suspected gunman, and injured two others, police said, describing the incident as linked to an “ongoing neighbour dispute.”
Stratford police said in a press release that at around 10:45 p.m. on Thursday they received multiple calls about shots fired in the north end of the city.
When they arrived, they said they found four people with gunshot wounds. One of them was dead at the scene, they said, and another was taken to Stratford General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The other two victims were treated by paramedics on the scene before being taken to Victoria Hospital in London, Ont., police said in a news release Friday. One has a life-threatening injury and the other has a life-altering injury.
Police said their investigation has revealed that a 31-year-old male suspect fired shots at the three victims after he was involved in a neighbour dispute, before turning the weapon on himself.
Investigators said the shooter began his attack using a high-powered rifle, firing from across the road and killing 36-year-old Jonathan Bennett.
Police said the suspect then used a shotgun and went into the road where he shot a 43-year-old male victim, who is now in hospital being treated for life-threatening injuries. They said the third victim came out of her home and was shot.
“Several other shots were fire by the shooter during the course of his assault … before he completed his attack by turning the gun on himself and ending his own life,” police said.
Stratford police said they’re aware that videos of the shooting have surfaced on social media, and have asked for them to be removed out of respect for the victims.
Police said there is no further threat to the public and the area of the attack remains closed during the investigation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2024.
