Grandfather murdered in triple shooting grieved by family after trial

The family of a B.C. man murdered in a triple shooting is speaking publicly for the first time.

Thomas Reed, a father of two and a grandfather of six, was gunned down in his car while giving a friend a ride in Prince George in 2017.

Reed, 52, and his friend were murdered, as was Reed's dog, Molly.

A third man was also shot in the hip and shoulder but survived.

Victim was grandfather 

The vehicle, with the victims inside, was discovered on a main thoroughfare, rattling people in Prince George.

An RCMP helicopter hovered over city homes during the manhunt.

 "[It was] a complete shock," said  Reed's daughter, Keri Reed, who was 21 when she got the tragic news."He was really the greatest. He was home [to us]."

Speaking outside the courthouse where four men are facing sentencing, Keri said she misses her father's laugh every day.

"When he laughed, he was like the loudest person ever, but it was super happy.  I have a really deep laugh, too.  People have always told me, 'You have a manly laugh and I'm like, 'that's my dad and  it makes me really glad.'"

Natalie Jones, Reed's sister, said her brother was a drug addict but also loving and hardworking. 

Generosity 'took his life'

Reed had worked as a truck driver, a heavy machine operator and used to repaint airplanes and fire trucks.

He built a wilderness cabin for his family with his own hands.

"He helped people whenever he could. He would give his last shirt to somebody else because they needed it," said Jones. 

"He was the guy who always helped people and said, I'll give you a ride," said Jones. "And it took his life."

The B.C. Supreme Court heard Reed gave a ride to his friend, David Franks, on Jan. 25, 2017.

2 men gunned down, 3rd survived

A third friend, Bradley Knight, joined them.

Franks was heading to meet a group of people for a cocaine deal.

Crown counsel told the court the deal "was an obvious ruse to lure Franks to an isolated spot," possibly because he had slighted someone in the drug world.

Court heard that the trio parked at a pullout on Foothills Boulevard near North Nechako Road, close to a burgundy van. Soon after, the trio was hit by bullets from three shotguns.

"You can say this is not going to ever happen to my family," said Jones. "It can happen to any family."

"Drug culture can be rough," she said. "But [people like my brother] are not out there to harm people. They're out there to get their fix .... my brother just offered a ride to help these guys."

Four men have been convicted of the crimes.

Joshua West and Seaver Tye Miller pleaded guilty to second degree murder.

Aaron Moore, who stayed inside the van during the shooting, pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death.

On Monday, Perry Charlie was convicted of two counts of second degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Justice Marguerite H. Church ruled there wasn't sufficient evidence to establish the triple shooting was planned in advance. 

"[The evidence] falls far short of planned and deliberate, though the way it unfolded was suspicious," said Church.

She delivered her ruling in a packed courtroom so crowded that people sat on the floor and waited outside.

'Our grief'

As Charlie was led away in handcuffs, his mother sobbed, "I love you, my baby. I love you forever."

"I love you, Mom," Charlie replied. 

Charlie's mother left the court room wailing, swearing, and screaming.  

"It was very hard in a very small courtroom with the families of the accused," said Keri Reed. The convicted guys will get to see their family members again."

"There is no after [the trial] for us, other than our grief and our pain and our suffering," said Reed. "We're trying to remember all of the good memories and make sure that's what stays in our mind."