A landlord in Canada shot and killed a young, engaged couple residing in his building following a housing dispute.
The landlord’s life ended in a police encounter later the same day.
The event took place in Stoney Creek, Ontario, on May 27. A 57-year-old landlord, whose name has yet to be released, killed his tenants, Carissa MacDonald, 27, and Aaron Stone, 28, at their home on 322 Jones Road. The Hamilton Police Department was alerted to the incident around 5:40 pm, following a report of a shooting.
Upon reaching the location, the officers found that MacDonald and Stone had already passed away due to their injuries. Hamilton Detective Sergeant Steve Bereziuk briefed the press on Sunday morning, recounting that the victims were attempting to escape the location when they were brutally shot. He insisted that the victims were innocent, characterizing the event as deeply heartrending.
The landlord subsequently retreated into the house, arming himself with several firearms, all legally registered in his name. Negotiation teams tried in vain for several hours to coax him to surrender without violence. However, around 10 pm, the landlord began firing at a fortified police vehicle, and directly at the officers on-site. The officers returned fire, resulting in the death of the landlord on the spot.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit is now looking into the circumstances of the shooting, a common practice for cases involving police action. The team is composed of six investigators and four forensic specialists. The couple, who were excitedly planning their wedding, had recently gotten engaged.
MacDonald was an educational assistant, and Stone was training to be an electrician. Although the specific chain of events leading to the tragic incident is still unknown, Detective Sgt. Bereziuk confirmed that the dispute was not about unpaid rent, but rather related to the condition of the property.
