Nine people are dead across three crime scenes this week after a murderous rampage took place in Edmonton, Alberta and ended in suicide.
Police say six adults and two children lost their lives before the unidentified gunman turned the gun on himself.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht called the crime scenes "horrific" and "chaotic," and the killings "senseless mass murder." Knecht also told citizens that the carnage is over, the Edmonton Journal reports.
"There is no risk to the broader public and these events do not appear to be gang-related, but rather tragic incidents of domestic violence," he explained. "It is a tragic day in Edmonton."
The tragedies began on Monday at 6:52am, when police were called to a home in the Haddow neighbourhood on the south side of Edmonton. They discovered the body of 37-year-old Cyndi Duong, who was killed by a gunshot wound from a 9-mm weapon.
Around 8:30pm, Edmonton police were called to a home in the Klarvatten neighbourhood on the north side of the city, after a man's family reported that he was depressed and potentially suicidal. Police peered through the window and knocked at the door, but no one answered. Chief Knecht explained that the officers left because they did not have "reasonable and probable grounds" to enter the home.
Shortly after midnight, police received another call to the Klarvatten home, although officials would not reveal the nature of the information received. Inside the home, they found the bodies of three women, two men, and a boy and a girl under the age of 10.
As that crime scene was being processed, police in Saskatchewan spotted a black Mercedes SUV that was sought in connection to the Duong murder outside of the Vietnamese restaurant VN Express. The person of interest in the killing reportedly had a business interest in the restaurant.
Police surrounded the building and demanded the man come out, but received no response. They forced their way inside at 7:34am, and found the body of a man matching the suspect's description, according to the Edmonton Journal.
Chief Knecht said the suspect was known to police for his lengthy rap sheet for drugs and violent crimes. Tax records show the Klarvatten home was owned by Phu Lam and Thuy-Tien "Tien" Truong. All of the deceased are believed to be Vietnamese.
Edmonton Viets Association Vice President External Amy Duong said her organisation did not know the victims, but was shocked by the killings.
"It's a tragic and horrific event," she said. "I've never heard of this kind of domestic violence in the Vietnamese community before."
