Family members are reeling after the triple homicide of a father and two grown sons shot in their Lloydminster home.
Family members are reeling after the triple homicide of a father and two grown sons who were shot in their Lloydminster home.
The news came to family cousin Mary-Anne Parkhurst, also of Lloydminster, in a public way.
“I was up feeding my son in the night. I opened Facebook and saw the post from another family member,” she said.
“Unfortunately, we found out on Facebook — the family found out on Facebook.”
The homicides have left family with plenty of questions and unknowns.
“We’re not a hundred per cent sure why. All we know is that it was targeted,” said Parkhurst.
“All three of them were shot in their home. It was Brent’s house.”
‘HEARTBREAKING’
The Peters men were originally from the Saskatchewan community of Melfort, she said, and were living on the Saskatchewan side of the city that borders Alberta.
“We’re definitely heartbroken, that’s for sure,” Parkhurst said.
“We’ve had losses — deaths in the family — but this is a big tragedy, especially since there’s three of them. It’s just heartbreaking,” she said.
Parkhurst said the cousins had been close-knit as children, but lost contact after growing up. They had since reconnected as adults, she said.
The brothers, who received scholarships for trades training, had brushes with the law, Parkhurst said, but were well-liked.
“They all had good hearts, and they were good people,” she said.
Brent Peters’ Facebook page shows he was a car enthusiast, whose granddaughter — Brennan’s daughter — was the light of his life.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family. Organizer Jessica Cox wrote that the community was rocked by the tragedy.
“The unimaginable took place in our small city of Lloydminster and three lives were robbed from a daughter/granddaughter and mother/friend and many more who loved them,” she wrote.
“Brent, Brennan and Matthew were sons and fathers. They were cruelly taken from this world and did not deserve such a heinous act. They loved those close to them with everything they had.”
WELL-BEING CHECK
RCMP Const. Cory Riggs said the bodies were discovered during an RCMP well-being check on Sept. 11 shortly before 6 p.m. at the home near 50 Street and 47th Avenue in Lloydminster.
The house was soon cordoned off with tape for evidence gathering.
“When officers attended the location, they located three deceased individuals,” he said in the aftermath of the homicides.
“It appears to be a targeted and isolated incident, and there’s no immediate concern for the public.
There is no foundation to rumours circulating last week that a police standoff in Saskatchewan was linked to the killings, he made clear.
“The main message that we just want to get out there is that we are aware that there is fears behind this. We just want to let people know that we have a team of expert investigators. We’re working with not only Alberta RCMP, but also Saskatchewan RCMP as well,” Riggs said.
Anyone with information about the killings is asked to call 780-808-8400. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call 1-800-222-8577.
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