Minister acknowledges latest shootings have left British Columbians 'fearful and worried'

British Columbia's public safety minister says the latest round of shootings in the province's public spaces has been "unsettling" for residents.

Mike Farnworth called Monday's shooting deaths of two people in Langley, and the wounding of two others, "a senseless act of violence" that is "extremely disturbing."

"My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and the community impacted by this despicable act. These people are members of our community," Farnworth said during a news conference Monday. 

"I understand British Columbians are fearful and worried when events like this happen."

Police said the gunman in Langley, who was shot dead by police, was known to them but had "non-criminal contact" with officers.

The two people killed have yet to be identified.

One of the two people injured in the shootings Monday, who police identified as a homeless woman, remains in critical condition, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team confirmed Tuesday morning.

A community outreach event is scheduled for Tuesday for those affected in Langley. Representatives from victim services, the RCMP, crisis counsellors and other community support groups will offer their services.

The shootings Monday were the latest in a string of gun violence that has unfolded across the province in recent weeks, from Vancouver Island to the Sea to Sky region:

• On Sunday, two men known to police were fatally shot in the resort town of Whistler, where a burning vehicle associated with the incident was discovered. Two suspects were subsequently charged with first-degree murder.
• Another man accused of fatally shooting two women disappeared from Chilliwack last week. An expansive RCMP search for the suspect ended Monday when he was found dead near Bridal Falls, east of Chilliwack.
• On July 14, a man acquitted in a pair of 1985 bombings targeting Air India planes was gunned down outside his workplace in Surrey.
• At the end of June, an armed robbery at a bank during the busy lunch hour in Saanich, ended in a shootout that left six police officers wounded.

Farnworth said he understands that British Columbians are worried and fearful when shootings happen in their neighbourhoods.

"We don't yet know the motive behind the shootings," he said, referring to the attack in Langley. 

"However, with [Monday's] tragic events, I want British Columbians to feel assured as more info becomes available, we will make that known to the public.''

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "horrified" by Monday's shootings.

"My heart breaks for the victims' loved ones and communities, and my thoughts are with the people who were injured — we're wishing you a speedy recovery. This violence has no place in any of our communities," he wrote on Twitter.