By Canadian Press

Five people found dead after shooting in home east of Toronto, police say

Sep 4, 2020 | 10:31 AM

OSHAWA, Ont. — Five people were found dead and one woman was sent to hospital after an early-morning shooting in a suburban home east of Toronto, police said Friday as investigators combed the scene for evidence.

Police tape surrounded the brick bungalow by the time the sun rose in Oshawa, Ont., hours after Durham Regional Police said they received numerous calls reporting the sound of gunshots around 1:20 a.m.

“They were eventually able to enter one of the residences here on Parklane where they made a grisly discovery of four deceased parties inside a residence,” Const. George Tudos said. Police said a 50-year-old woman was also found with a gunshot wound that was serious but not life-threatening.

The surviving victim has since been taken to hospital.

Later, Tudos confirmed that a fifth person — believed to be the suspect — was also found dead in the house. There had been a miscommunication because police usually do not include the suspect as one of the victims, he said.

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“There’s nothing to suggest that there’s any suspects on the loose and right now, we can confirm that there’s no community safety concerns,” he said.

Tudos said early information suggested four of the deceased were male, and one is thought to be a woman. But he said police are waiting on the coroner to confirm ages.

Police were seen towing away a pickup truck with Manitoba license plates, which some neighbours said they hadn’t seen parked at the house before.

Carol Gibson, who lives down the street from the crime scene, said she was startled awake by the incident.

“The first shot woke me up, and then I heard about four or five more after that,” Gibson said in an interview. “Then a woman screamed and there were two shots after that.”

Gibson said she had known the family in the house for around 20 years.

“They were a family that cared for each other quite a bit,” said Gibson. “If they weren’t playing baseball, hockey or shooting hoops on the driveway, they were out raking leaves and they did it as a family. A very caring family.”

Gibson said nothing like this has happened on the street before.

A forensic team arrived on the scene Friday morning and will help the force’s homicide unit with the investigation, Durham police said on Twitter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2020.

Salmaan Farooqui, The Canadian Press