Police are investigating a double-homicide in Coquitlam Wednesday evening.
Neighbours in the area reported hearing gunshots around 7:45 p.m. before a white Mercedes-Benz SUV crashed into a hydro pole in the alleyway behind Mundy Street near the Dawes Hill Park playground.
“They have the whole place shot up,” said resident Jack Yeung, who arrived home shortly afterwards.
Coquitlam RCMP officers responding to the gunshots found multiple shell casings and two unresponsive people inside a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other was taken to hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
A third victim was found suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. They were taken to hospital.
Yeung was standing on his balcony shortly afterwards when he witnessed officers attempt to stop a pickup truck travelling in the back lane that attempted a U-turn.
In a video uploaded to YouTube, police officers can be seen slowly approaching the male pickup driver as he stands outside the vehicle, its driver-side door wide open and lights on.
“We’ve got two guys over here who are dead,” one officer says to the driver. “We have details that the truck involved matches your truck.”
The man attempts to explain while the officer repeats, “we’re trying to rule you out, we’re trying to rule you out.”
Three officers are then seen taking the man to the ground and placing him in handcuffs.
A half dozen police vehicles remain in the area as of 9:30 pm., and the road has been blockaded. Neighbours say police are scouring nearby Dawes Hill park.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been called to work in partnership with Coquitlam RCMP.
Anyone with footage or who may have information about the incident is asked to call the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by e-mail at [email protected].
The incident comes after a busy night for police in Coquitlam after a multi-jurisdiction police chase Tuesday stemming from an alleged Port Coquitlam robbery, which led to a portion of Highway 1 being shut down.
More to come.
