Seven adults and two children have been found dead in the Canadian city of Edmonton after a man carried out what police called a “senseless mass murder” linked to “extreme domestic violence”.
The gunman is believed to have killed himself after the murders. Police are not looking for any other suspects.
The incident unfolded in three different locations in Edmonton, in the western province of Alberta.
Seven bodies were found in the same house, police chief Rod Knecht said.
Two “very young” children are among the dead, Mr Knecht said.
He said it was the worst mass killing in Edmonton since six people were killed in 1956.
“It appears to be an extreme case of domestic violence gone awry,” he told a press conference, describing the killings as “planned and deliberate”.
“This series of events are not believed to be random acts, and there is no risk to the broader public. These events do not appear to be gang-related, but rather tragic incidents of domestic violence.”
Police say that the gunman used a stolen 9mm handgun and later killed himself at a restaurant north of Edmonton. They have only released the names of one of the victims and have not detailed the relationship between the shooter and his victims.
Mr Knecht said that the man who committed suicide had a criminal record going back to 1987.
