Saanich bank where 6 police officers were shot, 2 suspects killed reopens to customers
Saanich bank where 6 police officers were shot, 2 suspects killed reopens to customers
A Saanich, B.C., bank branch where police officers faced a hail of gunfire in a botched robbery has reopened Tuesday.
It has been exactly three weeks since the shooting occurred, and staff have spent much of that time cleaning the branch, according to the BMO Financial Group. Doors to the bank reopened at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
"Work has been underway to clean up the branch and to come back stronger than ever," reads an e-mail sent to branch members.
On June 28, six members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) were shot as they entered into a gun battle with two heavily armed men adorned in body armor and masks.
The two suspects, who would later be identified as 22-year-old twin brothers from the Cowichan Valley, B.C., were shot dead as the highly trained police unit attempted to secure the bank.
The twins' motivation to enter the bank that Tuesday morning and eventually fire at officers remains unknown, according to investigators.
The shooters' social media profiles did paint a troubling picture.
Posts were filled with images of the boys firing rifles, running around the bush dressed in camouflage clothing, and some captions included anti-government rhetoric.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crimes Unit (VIIMCU) has taken over the investigation into the brazen daylight shootout.
Saanich police respond to the incident at the Bank of Montreal on June 28, 2022. (CTV News)
INJURED OFFICERS RECOVERING
The six members of the GVERT squad who were shot continue to make strides towards recovery, according to the Saanich and Victoria police departments.
Three officers who were injured were able to immediately leave the hospital, while three others continued to receive treatment weeks after the shooting.
In early July, police said that one of the three injured officers still in hospital, a member of VicPD, was able to leave and continue their recovery at home.
The other two officers, both from Saanich Police Department, remain in hospital as of July 11.
'OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH EVERY PERSON IMPACTED'
On Tuesday, when BMO announced the reopening of the bank branch, the company said it also commended police and everyone touched by the shocking act of violence in Saanich.
"Our thoughts are with every person impacted by the event," said BMO in the announcement.
"We want to take the time to recognize the local police officers for being there for the community, and deeply appreciate their courage in order to keep us safe," the announcement reads.
"As a token of our appreciation, a donation has been made to the Saanich and Victoria Police Association on behalf of BMO Bank of Montreal."
Texas' Republican-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust, a sudden, historic rebuke of a GOP official who rose to be a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of scandal and alleged crimes.
An attorney for an 11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by a police officer after he called 911 for help said Thursday there was 'no way' the boy could have been mistaken for an adult.
Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts.
It is a world wrapped in mystery - the seventh planet from the sun, Uranus, seen up close just once nearly four decades ago by a passing NASA probe and still warily guarding its secrets.
Mexican authorities say they've made an arrest in the killing of a Quebec man earlier this month in the Pacific coast beach town of Puerto Escondido. The Oaxaca state attorney general says in a statement issued Friday that an arrest warrant was executed for a man in Puerto Escondido identified only by his initials in connection with the homicide of Victor Masson.
Deborah Stefanek's doctor recommended she take a new medication called Kisempta to treat her relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. She was shocked to learn every province in Canada covers Kisempta under their Pharmacare plans except B.C.
As more people are heading out to enjoy the city’s wilderness areas, North Vancouver RCMP issued water safety tips for those spending time at the North Shore’s rivers and lakes.
A man and a woman have been arrested and charged for last March’s murder of 41-year-old Chad Colivas of Abbotsford, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said Saturday.
The rookie quarterback recorded a pair of touchdown runs, including a late game-winning 46-yard sprint into the end zone, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers survived a comeback bid to open up CFL pre-season play with a 25-23 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday afternoon.
Advocates are hoping the Ontario government will consider alternatives to the use of wild animals in off-leash dog areas for the purpose of tracking as officials push forward with a proposal to expand training areas in the province.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley held a major rally in downtown Calgary Saturday morning, while her United Conservative rival had no public events planned this weekend after a final pitch to voters a day earlier.
Quebecers are used to congestion headaches on Highway 40, but Saturday’s hold-up was nothing if not out of the ordinary: a horse broke free from its transport container and ran free in the fast lane. Marco Lelievre, a trucker, stopped his vehicle while driving through Repentigny, Que. after he saw the runaway horse.
Those planning on travelling in and around Montreal on the weekend may want to consider public transit or a bicycle to get around as there are a more than a few construction projects that will cause major road closures.
Who is Diandra D'Alessio? She's a Montrealer, a technical writer, a history lover -- and she's last night's Jeopardy winner. The self-proclaimed trivia buff made it out on top with $3,299 under her belt.
Ontario Provincial Police arrested a fourth suspect in connection to the alleged kidnapping of Elnaz Hajtamiri, the Ontario woman who disappeared in January 2022.
Several people have been hospitalized with smoke inhalation after trying to save multiple animals from a fire at a cat shelter on Shanty Bay Road in Oro-Medonte.
A Prince Albert man said he can start moving on, now that the woman who attacked his 89-year-old father has been sentenced. He said because of the assault, he lost both his mother and father.
The Catholic school system in Saskatchewan has a long history and is ultimately protected by the province’s constitution. Something the courts have backed up.
Ontario Provincial Police have charged two people following reports of hitchhikers displaying aggressive behaviour along the Highway 17 East corridor in Kenora.
Saanich police respond to the incident at the Bank of Montreal on June 28, 2022. (CTV News)
