Attack in Vancouver suburb leaves two homeless people and gunman dead

Canadian police say two people have been killed in an early morning gun attack in a Vancouver suburb that left two others injured and appeared to target homeless residents. The suspect was shot dead by officers.

On Monday morning, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said most of the shootings were in downtown Langley in southwest British Columbia. There was also a reported shooting in the neighbouring Langley township.

Two of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, police said later on Monday. One woman remained in critical condition. A fourth person was shot in the leg.

The attack is believed to have unfolded over several hours. Images from social media showed multiple vehicles, including a police SUV, with bullet holes in them.

Residents received a cellphone alert at about 6.30am warning people to avoid the area. The alert described the suspect as a white male, wearing brown overalls and a blue and green camouflage T-shirt.

Police cordoned off a main thoroughfare through the centre of the city. Authorities later issued a second alert saying the suspect was in custody and there was no longer a threat to the public. It was not clear what medical condition the suspect was in when they were apprehended.

Authorities initially said they were unsure whether the shooter acted alone. But police later said the man being held was believed to be solely responsible. Police also said the suspect was known to them. A homicide team confirmed on social media that its investigators had been deployed to Langley to help the mounted police.

Yellow police tape surrounded a sandwich shop and a parking lot in Langley at the scene of one of the shootings. A black tent was set up over one of the crime scenes.Langley is about 30 miles (50km) southeast of Vancouver.

Mass shootings are less common in Canada than in the US. The deadliest gun rampage in Canadian history happened in 2020 when a man disguised as a police officer shot people in their homes and set fires across the province of Nova Scotia, killing 22 people.

The federal government recently announced plans to overhaul its gun-control laws, restricting the purchase, importation and selling of handguns.