Hamilton shooting victims planned to move June 1, complained of mould
Published May 31, 2023 at 6:40 am
The two people gunned down in Hamilton on Saturday had argued with their landlord and complained about mould in their basement apartment the day they were killed and planned to move, says a top investigator with the Hamilton police.
Det.-Sgt. Steve Bereziuk told inthehammer.com that the victims, Carissa MacDonald and Aaron Stone, raised “health concerns” about a mouldy apartment with the homeowner just before the homicide. Their landlord also died in a shootout with police.
Hamilton police today (May 30) released the names and photos of the victims with the permission of the family. The name of the suspected shooter has not been officially released but friends and neighbours say the man who owned the house was 57-year-old Terry Brekka.
“There was some dispute about the situation,” Bereziuk said in a phone interview. “It appears to be part of what took place.” He could not provide a timeline of how events unfolded that day.
Bereziuk also said the victims, who were engaged to be married, had found a new place “that was better suited for them” and were moving out of 322 Jones Rd. in Stoney Creek by June 1, just days before they were killed.
He said police are still investigating and don’t know if the couple’s plan to move was connected to the argument with the landlord.
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Bereziuk said the motive is unknown. “We don’t know why and we don’t know if we’ll ever know why,” he said.
MacDonald, 27, worked as an educational assistant, and her fiance Stone, 28, was an electrician. Reports say they were shot while trying to flee the home.
Brekka, a steelworker, lived at the residence for several years.
Police have described the shootings as a “ landlord-tenant dispute.”
Officers first received a call that someone had been shot at about 5:40 p.m. on Saturday. They discovered the couple dead when they arrived at the residence.
The landlord then barricaded himself in the residence with firearms that were registered to him, according to police. Although police said they tried to peacefully negotiate with the landlord, he was killed after an exchange of gunfire with an officer at about 10 p.m.
Hamilton police are appealing for more witnesses. Those with information about the shooting can contact Det. Robert DiIanni at 905-546-3836. People can also anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com
The SIU asks the public for any information that could help the investigation, including video or photos. People with tips can contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or submit them online at: https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php
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