Police say deadly landlord-tenant dispute revolved around ‘state of the rental unit’

A couple in their 20s, who were renting a home in Hamilton, was shot and killed by their landlord following a dispute. The incident led to a standoff with the police, resulting in the death of the landlord, Rhianne Campbell speaks with neighbours.

By Cassandra Szklarski The Canadian Press and John Marchesan

A brazen double homicide in which an engaged couple was allegedly gunned down by their landlord as they fled their rental home has shaken residents of their southern Ontario city and raised questions about how a landlord-tenant dispute could explode into such violence, Hamilton police said.

Sgt. Steve Bereziuk said a 27-year-old female educational assistant and a 28-year-old male electrician were shot dead just outside the home they shared in the community of Stoney Creek on Saturday, describing them both as “truly innocent victims.”

Bereziuk said the 57-year-old suspect is a landlord who lived in a unit above the tenants.

In a release, Hamilton Police confirmed the landlord was later killed in an exchange of gunfire with an officer.

“The 57-year-old landlord barricaded himself in the residence with firearms that were registered to him. Hamilton Police Emergency Response Unit contained the area, while negotiators engaged in contact with the male in an attempt to peacefully resolve the incident.

“At one point during the negotiations, the suspect fired at the Hamilton Police armoured vehicle. The suspect later fired additional rounds, which resulted in an interaction with police.”

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which is called in to investigate incidents involving police in which someone is killed or injured, is probing the landlord’s death.

“The man was struck (by police gunfire) and he was pronounced deceased at the scene,” said SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon, adding that the SIU is seeking any video evidence from the public.

Witnesses saw couple running from house

Bereziuk said witnesses reported hearing gunfire and described seeing the couple running out of the house late afternoon on Saturday.

He said police are still trying to piece together details of the deadly altercation, which revolved around “the state of the rental unit.”

“These are the questions, right? How does it escalate so quickly and to such lethal force? That’s something we’re obviously continuing to look into,” Bereziuk said in a phone interview.

“It’s a perfect storm of tragedy in this case because you can’t predict something like this and you can’t prevent it. Because nobody was on our radar, at least for the Hamilton police. It makes it difficult to understand how things can (happen), certainly with respect to a landlord-tenant dispute.”

Police were called to the home on Jones Road just off Barton Street just after 5:30 p.m. Saturday, finding the tenants shot to death outside the property.

Police then began negotiating with the landlord, who had barricaded himself inside the home with firearms.

Area residents were asked to shelter in their basements as police attempted to bring the situation to a “peaceful resolution.”

Around 1 a.m., police said the situation had been “contained.”

Bereziuk said he spoke with family of the two tenants who were “absolutely devastated.”

“They’re having a real hard time with this, obviously.”

Bereziuk said none of the people involved were known to police, a factor that made the case even more shocking.

“These are not people that this should happen to,” Bereziuk told reporters from the scene Sunday morning.

“They’re not involved in any level of criminality or lifestyle that may lead to an incident like this. They are truly innocent victims, hardworking people, young people. They were engaged to be married. And this is a very tragic incident.”

Neighbours, meanwhile, were shaken by the incident, he added later by phone.

“When you have to, as a police service, put out a message to the neighbours to shelter in place and take cover in your basement, that’s scary. And I do know that witnesses in the area heard gunfire. The feeling is, I have no doubt, shock and a little bit of fear,” he said.

“I know it’s a bit cliche but this is a very quiet part of Hamilton. This is an eastern part of Stoney Creek. It’s sort of a mixed rural residential setting… You would never expect this level of violence anywhere, truthfully, but it is certainly unique for this area.”

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