Langham shooting suspect died in 'apparent homicide-suicide': RCMP
RCMP won't publicly identify victim, 38, after confirming Justin Heimbecker found in his home
RCMP officially confirmed the identity of a deceased shooting suspect following a violent incident on Friday in the community of Langham, Sask., about 30 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
Police said 46-year-old Justin Heimbecker of Langham was found deceased inside his home, where there had also been a fire, according to a news release Monday.
A victim, identified as a 38-year-old male from Langham, was found deceased in front of another home on the same street. Police said the victim and the accused were known to each other, but were not related.
RCMP said they won't be releasing the name of the 38-year-old as there will be no court process for this investigation.
Major Crimes continues to investigate an "apparent homicide-suicide," RCMP said in the release.
No arrests were made by the Saskatchewan RCMP on Friday, and police aren't searching for anyone else in relation to this investigation. Police said they received no further reports of injuries related to this incident.
Meanwhile, the fire related to the incident was considered suspicious and is being investigated by the office of the fire commissioner.
What happened on Friday
On Friday, July 8, Warman RCMP received a report of a person uttering threats. While responding to this report, police heard of of a shooting outside a residence on Kyle Street in Langham, as well as a house fire on the same street.
At that time, the 38-year-old victim was found outside one of the homes on that street.
An emergency alert was issued at about 7:40 a.m. via Sask Alert to the areas surrounding Langham about a dangerous, potentially armed person in the area, and residents were urged to lock their doors and windows and shelter in place.
Shortly after 9 a.m., RCMP issued an update to the emergency alert identifying the suspect as Heimbecker. RCMP said his whereabout were unknown, and they couldn't search his home — which was on fire — for safety reasons, but continued to search the area.
After the fire was put out, at around 11:40 a.m. officers said they found a body in the burned home, which is now confirmed to be Heimbecker. Shortly after that, the public alert was cancelled.
"Any time there is a loss of life, it is traumatic for the loved ones and communities of those who have lost their lives, as well as for first responders. Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by this tragedy," RCMP said in the release.