Police identify Saanich, B.C., gunmen as 22-year-old twin brothers
Mounties on Vancouver Island have publicly identified the two gunmen killed during a shootout with police at a bank in Saanich on Tuesday.
The suspects were 22-year-old twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie, the BC RCMP's Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit confirmed at a news conference Saturday morning.
The twins are from Duncan, B.C., and their family is cooperating with the investigation and has asked for privacy, said BC RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Alex Bérubé.
Neither man had a criminal record and were not previously known to police, he added.
"We understand that the release of the names of the two deceased may answer the who, but there are still many questions and investigation efforts that need to take place in order to fully understand what took place and why," Bérubé said.
"The motive behind the armed robbery and subsequent exchange of gunfire with police has not yet been determined."
CTV News Vancouver Island has confirmed that the now-deleted Instagram account @isaacauchterlonie867 belonged to Isaac Auchterlonie.
The account featured several posts that used anti-government hashtags, interspersed with shots of nature, rifles and ammunition.
Bérubé added that investigators believe there may be people who have more information about the brothers who have not yet spoken to police.
"We need those people to come forward," he said.
Bérubé did not have an update on the condition of the three officers injured in the incident who remained in hospital as of Thursday. He referred questions about those officers to the Saanich and Victoria police departments.
Police, including officers from the heavily armed Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, were called to the Bank of Montreal branch on Shelbourne Street in Saanich around 11 a.m. Tuesday for reports of a bank robbery.
Officers encountered the two suspects as they were leaving the bank, and a shootout ensued.
The suspects were killed and six officers were injured. While police initially said they were investigating the possibility of a third suspect involved in the robbery attempt, Bérubé said Saturday that investigators now believe the Auchterlonie brothers were the only suspects in the bank.
Investigators continue to look into whether anyone else was involved or associated with the incident, he said.
After the initial exchange of gunfire, police found "improvised explosive devices" inside the suspects' vehicle, which they've since described as a white, four-door 1992 Toyota Camry with two black racing stripes over its hood and roof.
Bérubé said Saturday that police had confirmed that the Auchterlonie brothers were associated with the vehicle, and said investigators have received several calls and tips about the car.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.