Police investigating 'Serious Incident'

UPDATE: Suspect Charged With Murder and 2 Other Offences in Salmon Arm Church Shooting

Apr 15, 2019 | 11:15 AM

UPDATE

A 25 year old man has been charged with first degree murder after the shooting death of a man at a Salmon Arm church.

The BC Prosecution Service says Matrix Savage Gathergood has also been charged with aggravated assault and disguise with intent to commit an indictable offense.

The accused will next appear in Salmon Arm court on April 23.

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Matrix Gathergood, murder suspect (Facebook)

78-year old Gordon Parmenter was killed when a man entered the Church of Christ Sunday morning and shot him and wounded another man.

The latest from the #SalmonArmShooting pic.twitter.com/ETxVsCe1lW

— Vernon Matters (@VernonMattersca) April 15, 2019

The suspect was wrestled to the ground by a number of the parishioners and a rifle was seized.

The victim’s son David says he believes his father was targeted in Sunday’s incident, and says it was not the first the family had been victimized.

David told CBC his father’s house was deliberately set on fire last month and the tires of his vehicle were slashed.

David says his dad had a big heart and had been a foster parent for special needs children for many years.

RCMP still on scene investigating #SalmonArmShooting pic.twitter.com/CTcj3jvmr9

— Vernon Matters (@VernonMattersca) April 15, 2019

10 am April 15

RCMP say a 25 year old man remains in custody with charges pending after a fatal shooting in a church in Salmon Arm.

Reports say 78- year old Gordon Parmenter was killed when a man entered the Church of Christ on 5th Avenue SW during a church event around 10:30 Sunday morning and shot two people.

“Police attended and entered the church immediately to determine that two individuals were seriously wounded and required urgent medical assistance,” says RCMP Staff Sgt. Scott West.

Police say one man was declared dead at the scene while a second man was taken to hospital after reportedly being shot in the leg.

Mounties say the suspect was taken into custody after being wrestled to the ground by a number of the parishioners and a rifle has been seized.

“No information is being released about the victims at this time,” adds West, the detachment commander in Salmon Arm.

Dave Parmenter, the son of the victim, says the suspect is well-known to the family and has been struggling with mental health issues.

“While the investigation is in the preliminary stages, there is no information to suggest there are any ongoing threats to public safety. Police have determined that at least one of the victims was known to the suspect, and it is not believed at this time the event was religiously motivated,” says West.

Salmon Arm RCMP, with the assistance of the Southeast District Major Crime Unit, are conducting the investigation. Victim Services support has also been called in to assist with those impacted by the incident.

April 14

Police in Salmon Arm are investigating a possible shooting at a Salmon Arm Church.

RCMP say one person is in custody in relation to the incident and there is no on-going threat to the public.

A video posted on twitter shows an air ambulance arriving on scene.

pic.twitter.com/UoeUG7jIJI

— Groundwater Otter (@caledreid) April 14, 2019

According to Global News, 78- year old Gordon Parmenter was killed in the shooting . Parmenter was an elder at the chruch, and the suspect and victim were known to each other.

https://twitter.com/Shelby_Thom/status/1117541525255122944