Time to declare domestic violence an epidemic, Sault officials say

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is releasing more information as it investigates this week’s shooting rampage that resulted in the deaths of three children and one adult.

Wednesday, police confirmed the shooter -- who is also dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound -- was a male, but would not elaborate on his connection to the victims.

Sault Police Chief Hugh Stevenson told a news conference that the shooter had been investigated in the past.

"Sault Ste. Marie police can confirm the offender has been involved in intimate partner investigations in the past and detectives are following up on all leads as the investigation continues," Stevenson said.

He said officers recovered two firearms from the crime scene at Second Line East, a long gun and a handgun.

A fifth victim remains in hospital with no word on their condition.

Police are calling the tragedy an incident of intimate partner violence, and Stevenson said more needs to be done to raise awareness about the issue.

"If it's a matter of putting a label of epidemic on it, and so be it,” he said.

“What it does is it draws attention to the issue that it's not simply a private family matter. It's a societal matter."

Police tape and vehicles surround a crime scene on Tancred Street in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. on Tuesday, Oct.24, 2023 where one person was found deceased with gunshot wounds. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Soo Today-Alex Flood)

And putting the epidemic label on intimate partner violence is something that Kathleen Jodouin of Victim Services of Nipissing District said they have been working toward.

"Days like Monday and the aftermath of such a terrible tragedy are what we fear the most and it's what we're working against,” said Jodouin.

“And oftentimes, it feels like we are pushing a very large boulder up a hill without the adequate resources to do that. And lately, it's felt that we don't have the support of our local politicians to continue to do that work."

Robin Kerr of Victim Services of Algoma said coming forward to report incidents of violence in the home is not easy for those experiencing it.

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"It's hard for individuals to come forward and say that this is what's happening in their home,” Kerr said.

“It takes a huge step for anyone to admit that."

Stevenson is urging the public to consider the victim’s family before posting anything online about the investigation.

The Algoma District School Board is also asking for privacy as the school community mourns the children who were killed.