Saanich, B.C. bank shooter was rejected by military, CAF says
One of the twin brothers who was killed in a shootout with police outside a bank in Saanich, B.C., last week had applied to join the Canadian Armed Forces but was rejected, a military spokesperson confirmed Monday.
Mathew Auchterlonie had tried to join the Canadian Army but did not pass the aptitude test, the national defence spokesperson said.
The spokesperson declined to say when he applied.
The 22-year-old was killed Tuesday along with his twin brother, Isaac Auctherlonie, amid an exchange of gunfire outside a Bank of Montreal that also left six police officers injured.
Mathew was not the only brother with an interest in the military.
The national defence spokesperson confirmed that Isaac completed a solider-for-a-day work-study program with the Canadian Armed Forces in 2018.
The spokesperson described the program as an "open house" that allows anyone over the age of 15 to participate in simulated military fitness testing and tour a military installation.
"Neither Isaac nor Mathew Auchterlonie have ever been part of the Canadian Armed Forces in any way," the spokesperson said.
An Instagram account that was maintained by Isaac was dedicated to pro-gun messages and imagery, including videos of the brothers firing multiple weapons together.
The account also traded in anti-government and anti-vaccine hashtags and messages, and featured video clips from a documentary on the 1997 North Hollywood bank shootout on the anniversary last year, captioned: "24 years ago today."
Before the account was deactivated, the bio read: "Canadian. Patriot. WW2 Pacific war enthusiast. Nature. Firearms."
Police on Saturday identified the twins as the two men killed in the shooting that rocked the neighbourhood north of Victoria.
Investigators said multiple explosive devices were also found in a vehicle linked to the suspects at the bank.
Three of the officers injured in the shooting remain in hospital, including one in intensive care.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.