People in McCreary, Man., grapple with triple homicide

Local communities were shocked and saddened after four people were killed on Friday morning.

John Scott, a lifelong resident of the western Manitoba municipality east of Riding Mountain National Park, said he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He said the incident was something he never thought would happen there. Now he says people are trying to figure out why it happened, and Scott hopes investigators can provide some answers.

Richard Sonnenberg, the mayor of Makarari, also experienced the same shock. "You hear about it and you don't expect it to happen in your community, but here we are, it happened," Sonenberg told CBC News on Saturday. It's very sad for the whole community and everyone involved."

The Canadian Mounted Police responded to a call on Friday at 10:10 a.m. about Highway 84 West in the rural municipality of Macrare.

A 41-year-old man died at the scene of a self-inflicted wound.

Half an hour later, they were asked to check on a 37-year-old woman.

They could not find him at their residence, which led them to a nearby house. Police said they found the bodies of a 66-year-old woman and two men, aged 35 and 65, there.

The 37-year-old woman was found later that afternoon and taken to hospital as a precaution.

Police said at a news conference on Friday that they were not looking for another suspect and that the woman found and the four dead were all acquaintances.

"We feel terrible, the whole community feels terrible," Sonnenberg said. This is a terrible thing.”

A large property on the corner of West 84th Road was surrounded by police tape on Saturday. A vehicle from a security company was standing guard and blocking the entrance to the property.

The day before, a handful of RCMP vehicles and unmarked vehicles sat outside the property. Officers focused on a gray house there and could be seen going in and out of it.

RCMP spokesman Major Paul Manaire said Saturday that police do not yet have an update to provide. He said the riders would contact investigators on Monday to "see where they are in the investigation."

The incident sends "shock waves" across the region

Est-Rose-du-Lac Mayor Robert Brunell said hearing the news on Friday hit "very close to home".

He said there was a lot of connection between the two communities and it was shocking and sad to hear of the triple murders just a 20-25 minute drive away.

"It's a very rare event that a tragedy like this happens," he said. And it definitely sends shock waves throughout the community and the region because we're all connected and everyone in the community knows each other."

Brunell also thanked the first responders and the RCMP from the Este Rose du Lac department.

"They are members of our community and we certainly support them and support them," he said. "As some of the first responders to this disaster, they will definitely be helping them and thinking of them as they deal with what's happening."

Sonenberg also thanked all first responders.

"It's a terrible thing and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for everything they're doing," he said.

According to the 2021 census, a little over 700 people lived in Makarari municipality.

Scott said the community — 250 kilometers northwest of Winnipeg — is a close-knit place.

"Everybody here knows everybody," he said. And Sonenberg said he hopes the community will lean on each other as the search for answers continues.

"We're going to stay strong and hopefully we can get help for the people that need help here when we get a little bit further along," he said. "So we're just going to wait ... and when we hear from them [the RCMP], whoever needs help, we'll get help for them."

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