Shooting spree in Tamworth, Ont., leaves 2 dead, 2 injured
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A shooting spree that left two dead in the small eastern Ontario community of Tamworth is being investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police and the province's Special Investigations Unit.
Two men — including the alleged gunman — are dead, and a man and a woman were taken to hospital after a string of incidents that started at about 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, OPP said.
CBC News has learned the alleged gunman opened fire at six different locations in Tamworth, including the post office, fire hall, two locations along County Road 15 and two homes in the area.
Residents in the community of about 500 people, located about 190 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, identified the alleged gunman as Morton Lewis, 59, of Erinsville, Ont.
The other dead man was in his 70s and described by residents as a friend of Lewis's.
Residents said a volunteer firefighter was shot in the arm and a woman was injured during an attempted car-jacking.
Police said the two people in hospital have serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The SIU said at about 5:20 p.m. an OPP officer spotted a vehicle connected to the suspected gunman about 16 kilometres north of Tamworth on Highway 15. When the officer approached the vehicle, he heard a gunshot and later found the man in the bushes a short distance from the vehicle, according to the OPP.
The OPP said they are not looking for any other suspects.
Tamworth resident Colleen Kidd said a van in her garage was smashed up, along with the garage door of one of her neighbours two doors down.
"We were in the house, we saw him backing out, that's all. He came in my garage non-stop. He must have thought the garage was empty because the door was up. He came in and rammed the back of my van and put it in the back wall," Kidd said.
"It was one awful crash. It gives you an awful shock.... I was kind of shocked for a few minutes."
She said she called police, who told her it was connected to something happening in Tamworth. She was told to stay inside and not to disturb the crime scene.
"For a small town and something like this to happen, it's pretty nerve-wracking," she said. "But everybody's pretty close-knit around here. One talks to the other and helps them out."
Overnight, yellow tape surrounded the post office and two shell casings were seen on the pavement, according to a reporter with a CBC affiliate, CKWS-TV.
Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has taken over the investigation. The SIU investigates all cases of serious injury, death or sexual assault involving police.
