As details emerge about an apparent murder-suicide in an affluent suburb of Victoria, B.C., a chilling picture is developing of the man believed to have been found dead with his wife, son and two other adults.

Police were probing the scene for a second straight day Wednesday. They recovered a weapon they claim was used to kill the victims, but have not said what it was.

Investigators also said three of the bodies were found barricaded behind furniture in a bedroom.

Peter Hyun Lee, a restaurateur, was facing several criminal charges and was scheduled to appear in court next week.

A search of court documents showed that Lee had been out on bail for a July 31 incident in which police say he tried to hurt his wife by driving their SUV into a telephone pole.

Lee's record includes criminal charges for aggravated assault, dangerous driving causing injury, and forcible confinement dating back to 2005.

Divorce proceedings had been launched in August between Lee and his wife, Sunny Yong Sun Park, court records show.

And CP cited small claims court documents filed in December of last year, that showed Lee was being sued by Eunju Song, a former employee who alleged he assaulted her twice.

Song, an employee of Lee's The Guru of Korea Bar and Grill, filed documents seeking more than $25,000 in damages stemming from claims Lee slashed her right hand in the kitchen of the restaurant in December 2004.

Song also claimed Lee assaulted her in March, 2005, grabbing her by the throat, slamming her head against a stone wall, hitting her face and choking her.

Lee denied the allegations.

In another bizarre twist, The Canadian Press revealed Wednesday that Lee had Canadian Forces weapons training as a master-seaman with the HMCS Malahat reserve unit in Victoria, of which he had been a member for 12 years.

Sub-Lieut. Peggy Kulmala, Malahat public affairs officer, told CP Lee was a part-time member and had been working as a port inspection diver, conducting underwater assessments of ports and ships.

Lee was trained to recognize explosive devices and look for any hazards under the water, but would not have had access to weapons or explosives as part of his job.

Police probe the scene

Police were called to the Oak Bay home early Tuesday. Inside, they found four dead adults and one dead child. On Wednesday dozens of investigators spent a second full day at the house, probing the crime scene for clues about what led to the five deaths. The bodies were finally being removed on Wednesday evening.

Police have not officially named those found dead in the Oak Bay home, nor linked their deaths to Lee, but neighbours identify the family that lived there as Lee, 39; his wife Sunny; their six-year-old son Christian; and two other adults, believed to be grandparents.

Police said they would release the names once all of the victims had been positively identified.

On Wednesday, Penny Barner, a staff member at Selkirk Montessori School, where Christian was slated to begin Grade 1, said the boy will be missed.

"He was full of joy, he loved school, he loved his teachers and they loved him," she told CTV British Columbia.

Meanwhile, residents of the affluent suburb are trying to come to grips with the tragedy in their midst.

"It's totally safe. We have very great neighbours here, we know each other very well, and so it's a very big shock to us and our families," Bert Vandergeest, who has lived in the neighbourhood since 1993, told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday morning.

The neighbourhood hasn't had a murder in about 30 years.

Lily Maxwell, a neighbour, said the warning signs should have been acted on.

"That whole thing probably could have been avoided in some form, so this is a really sad story for all of us," Maxwell said.

The family's restaurant, The Guru, has been closed since the end of July.

Land title records for the house show Sunny Yong Sun Park -- a Victoria businesswoman -- became the registered owner of the family's home in June. There is also a certificate of pending litigation filed by Peter Hyun Joon Lee listed in the record.

Lee's car was parked on the home's lawn on Tuesday morning, with its key on the roof.

Police say the attack was not random and that the suspect knew the victims and that the wider community is not at risk.

With files from CTV's Todd Battis and CTV British Columbia