One of the victims of a mass murder in Edmonton is being remembered as a loving mother and a great friend.
Cyndi Duong, 37, was one of eight people, including two children, murdered at two separate homes earlier this week.
Her second cousin, Jade Nguyen, said Duong was “a loving mother, loving wife … great friend and family member.”
Nguyen also told CTV News that Duong was happy, outgoing and “very, very generous.”
Duong’s pastor, Thanh Le, also described her as joyous and friendly.
Sequence of events
Duong was the first victim discovered in a southwest Edmonton home Monday evening, but investigators now believe the deadly rampage started at a home in north Edmonton, where seven bodies were found.
The suspect in the murders, 53-year-old Phu Lam, was found dead from an apparent suicide at a restaurant in Fort Saskatchewan, located about 40 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. It’s believed that the restaurant was owned by his first wife and that he did some maintenance work there.
Two other victims have been identified so far: Lam’s second wife, Tien Trong, and her young son named Elvis.
Police have described the killings as “an extreme case of domestic violence.”
One of Truong’s friends, who did not want to be identified out of fear for her safety, told CTV News that Truong was trying to leave Lam because of his abusive behaviour.
Lam had a criminal record dating back to 1987. The handgun used in the mass murder was reported stolen in 2006.
Duong’s friends say she didn’t have any connection to the suspect and they don’t believe she was his intended target.
With a report from CTV’s Melanie Nagy
