Family seeks answers after RCMP kill mother, son
Mother, son identified as victims after confrontations with RCMP
People in the small northern B.C. community of Granisle say they are stunned by the deaths of a mother and her adult son, who were shot by police Thursday, apparently after a dispute among neighbours.
Authorities have not released any details about the victims, but they have been identified by the woman’s daughter, Shonte Williams, as 77-year-old Shirley Williams and her 39-year-old son, Jovan Williams.
“I loved them both so much,” said Williams, who described her mother as a strong union activist who fought for equality for women and people of all races. Shirley Williams was “very straightforward and honest,” she said, adding that she was hardworking, and loved animals and gardening.
The family is desperate for answers about why they were shot, but Williams said police haven’t told her anything about what happened.
At about 12:33 p.m., police were informed of the dispute between the neighbours, which involved a handgun, said RCMP E Division Staff Sgt. Rob Vermeulen. They arrived at about 1:22 p.m. and established a perimeter around a house.
Police tried to contact the residents, Vermeulen said. Instead, one person left the building and confronted police. Shots were fired at about 2:50 p.m. A second person left the residence, confronted police and more shots were fired.
Both people were treated by paramedics, but later died. No police officers were injured.
Area resident Betty Foster said the woman was often in town, but her son was very withdrawn. She said the village of Granisle, a community of about 300 residents located about 98 kilometres northwest of Burns Lake, is in disbelief that something like that could happen in the village.
“Everybody is just kind of stunned,” she said.
Anne and Peter Williams, who live about six kilometres away from the victims’ house and are not related to them, said Shirley Williams used to accompany them to church. They say she was a kind and lovely woman, who had become very frail and withdrawn in the last few years.
She had stopped going to church but still called the Williams on several occasions to complain the neighbours were vandalizing her house. The couple could not verify that is what happened, and were concerned that Shirley was in a vulnerable state because of health problems.
Her son Jovan, who lived with his mother and kept to himself, said he had recently been beaten by a bat during one of the heated arguments with the neighbours, according to Peter Williams. He said “Joe” had several prominent bruises on his face and became much more reclusive after the incident. Williams didn’t know what the dispute was about, but said hostility between the neighbours had been escalating over three or four years.
Shonte Williams also said her mother was upset about vandalism, and claims she had complained to the police but was ignored. Vermeulen said he could not verify that information, citing the investigation by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.
She also said she was told the neighbour hit her brother with a bat causing major bruising, but that the alleged assault never went through the court system.
“It’s very sad,” said Anne Williams, who saw her friend Shirley on Monday and said she appeared to be very happy. “I don’t know what happened. The whole situation just doesn’t make sense.”
Granisle Mayor Linda McGuire said Friday the community is “understandably upset” by the tragic event.
She declined to discuss any details of what happened, citing the ongoing investigation.
For six years, Shirley Williams served as an elected officer for the United Steelworks Union Local 1-424.
President Frank Everitt said they were shocked and saddened to hear that one of their union activists and former Canfor employees had died.
Everitt described her as a very conscientious person, a strong advocate for the union, and someone who wasn’t scared to speak her mind.
Marten Youssef, a spokesman for the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., said no details about the victims would be released by the IIO because that is the responsibility of the coroner’s service. A spokeswoman for the B.C. Coroners Service did not return a request for information.
On Friday morning, Youssef said eight investigators were en route to the scene.