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Police in Stratford, Ontario, say they are investigating Last week’s shooting escalated from an ongoing neighborhood disputeand see if you can learn anything from it.
Around 10:45 p.m. on August 1, police received a call about a gunman shooting on Bradshaw Avenue. When police arrived at the scene, Jonathan Bennett, 36, was dead, and two others, David Tokeley and Stephanie Owen, were seriously injured. The gunman was 31-year-old Rich Bierke, who shot himself.
Stratford police are investigating a shooting that left two people dead and two others injured at Bradshaw Avenue and McCarthy Road West. (Ashley Bacon/CTV News)
“We’re not sure if it was one, two or three shooters,” Inspector Mark Taylor told CTV News.
This was not the first time police were called to the scene, which was reported by Bradshaw Avenue police.
Police said they received 11 other complaints of disturbance or noise from the same people involved in the shooting.
“Most of them were minor, just nuisance calls,” Taylor explained. “Our officers had no idea it could lead to something this serious.”
Pictured are Stephanie Owen and Jonathan Bennett. (Johnny Bennett/Facebook)
The triple shooting prompted the Stratford Police Department to reevaluate its protocols.
“As a service and as a community we need to see if there are signs we’re not aware of that could have prevented this from happening,” Taylor said.
According to investigators, the gunman had three registered firearms in his home, including a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. Police said he used the rifle and shotgun but not the pistol.
Police don’t usually ask about weapons when responding to general nuisance or noise complaints — but they may.
“I know this could have had some serious consequences like the other night,” Taylor explained.
Since 2023, the city has received about 800 harassment calls.
Taylor said because of the recent shootings, they will intensify discussions about bringing in a mediator to help with disputes with neighbors.
He added: “I think they would be outside agencies that we could turn to, like our current victim services and mental health workers.”
David Tokley speaks to CTV News at a hospital in London on August 9, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
Former OPP Commissioner Reacts
Chris Lewis, a former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner who was not involved in the case, said the community also has to be specific when they call 911.
“If you think your neighbor is going to shoot you, you should tell the police.”
Lewis said it’s normal for all police services in Ontario to reassess and reflect after a tragedy.
“Any police department involved in an incident like this should take a close look at their policies and procedures to see if there was anything missed? Probably not,” Lewis explained.
More training
Taylor told Canadian television network News that officers could potentially receive more training, especially when responding to active shooters.
“In the past you wouldn’t train on the streets,” he said. “We would focus our training on schools, private homes and factories because we thought those were the places where shooters might be.”
Taylor added that the officers did their best, responding in just four minutes after receiving the call, but more training would always help for future incidents.
“I was very impressed with the actions of the officers,” he said.
Police said there has been only one shooting in which someone was injured since 2019. The last fatal shooting in Stratford was in 1993.
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