Two shot dead following attempted home invasion in South Glengarry

Ontario Provincial Police cruiser. (Source: OPP/File Image)

Ontario Provincial Police say two people are dead following an attempted home invasion in rural eastern Ontario.

Police were called to a home on Old Highway 2, between County Road 23 and County Road 26, in South Glengarry at around 9 p.m. Sunday on reports that two people had been shot. When officers arrived, they found two men dead inside the home.

According to police, the incident began when three people tried to enter the home. Two were shot and the third person ran away. Searches for the third suspect were unsuccessful.

“We are working diligently to not only identify that individual, but track them down,” Bill Dickson, media relations officer with OPP East Region, told CTV News Ottawa on Tuesday. “We believe they did leave the area in a vehicle, meaning that there was no imminent threat to public safety in the immediate area where this took place.”

Dickson said this was a “targeted incident.”

“These individuals did go there for a reason, did force their way into the home and were confronted by an individual and resulting in two of them being deceased and one on the run,” Dickson said.

The residents of the home were not hurt, but were taken into custody as part of the investigation and a firearm was seized. Dickson said Tuesday that the two people taken into custody have been released unconditionally.

Police said no charges have been laid.

“There is no threat to public safety, as the incident is believed to be targeted. Residents of the area should expect to see a large police presence for the ongoing investigation,” OPP said in a news release.

Dickson says part of the investigation is determining whether the firearm was legal.

“We have to investigate this to the full extent, regardless of whether this was a home invasion or anything else,” Dickson said. “You have two people deceased. So that means that we must complete a full and detailed investigation and see why it happened, how it happened, and all those details.”

The Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry (SD&G) OPP Crime Unit is leading the investigation. Anyone with any information that could assist the investigation or help locate the third person, is urged to contact the SD&G OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Jack Richardson