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A 17-year-old in Brockville, Ont., has been charged with the murder of a mother and her two teenage daughters, with local police calling their deaths a case of intimate partner violence.
Brockville Police responded to a call at around 11:30 a.m. Thursday to a residence on Cartier Court, where they found the bodies of a 49-year-old woman and her daughters, aged 17 and 15, Insp. Darryl Boyd told a news conference Friday afternoon.
“It is believed at this time that a knife was involved in the incident,” Boyd said.
Officers received information that led them to a different address on the outskirts of the eastern Ontario city, Boyd said. They found the teen there and took him into custody.
The teen was in a relationship with one of the two daughters, “indicating that this is an incident involving intimate partner violence,” said Boyd.
He also characterized the killings as femicide.
3 counts of 1st-degree murder
The teen — whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act — appeared in court Friday. He’s been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
He was also charged with assaulting a police officer during his arrest, Boyd said.
“Luckily, there were no lasting injuries to anyone,” Boyd said of that specific altercation with the officer.
While the full circumstances of the deaths — including the motive — remain under investigation, Boyd said there was no further risk to the community.
“We have no indication or any information at this point that there are any other targets or victims,” he said.
Brockville Police gave an update to media Friday about their investigation into the death of a woman and her two daughters. A teen has been charged with first-degree murder.
The killings have shaken the tight-knit community of 23,000 on the St. Lawrence River, where flags at city facilities were lowered Friday.
“A local family — and our community at large — suffered an unimaginable tragedy,” Chief Mark Noonan told the news conference.
“This is just an unspeakable tragedy,” added Brockville Mayor Matt Wren in an interview with CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning.
“We have to be honest with what we’re looking at here … three women killed in the place that they should have been safest.”
Ontario Morning3:523 people found dead in Brockville home
In Brockville, a 17-year-old has been detained on three charges of first-degree murder following the discovery of three deceased individuals in a residence on Thursday. Police revealed in a Facebook update that officers responded to a Cartier Court home at approximately 11:30 AM, where they located the three victims. We reached out to Brockville Mayor Matt Wren to discuss the impact on the community as residents process this tragic news.
Brockville Police said the investigation is sensitive and complex and that they “recognize the profound impact this incident has on the families, loved ones and the community.”
Premier Doug Ford also addressed the “tragedy in Brockville” during a news conference in Smiths Falls, Ont., on Friday.
“We’re working with local police, who will have our full support as they respond to this terrible event,” Ford said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, speaking ahead of a news conference in Smiths Falls, Ont., on Friday, said his “thoughts and prayers are with the community” following the news that a 17-year-old has been charged with murder in the death of a mother and two teenage daughters.
School Superintendent Kellie Weir of the Upper Canada District School Board said there were additional resources in place for staff and students Friday and that they will remain in place “as long as needed.”
The teen remains in custody and is expected back in court on May 28.
