Langley’s mass shooting spree on July 25, 2022, left Steven Furness and Paul Wynn dead, and two others injured. The Langley Advance Times reconnects with victims’ families and first responders on the shooting’s first anniversary.
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A year after the spree of shootings by Jordan Goggin that left two people dead, two injured, and Goggin fatally shot by police, police and civilian responses are continuing.
Langley RCMP were among the key responders to the string of shootings that took place on July 25, between midnight and 5:45 a.m.
“This event was tragic and something we hope our community never has to face again,” said Insp. Steve Wade, Operations Officer of the Langley RCMP detachment. “All of us working that day will never forget what happened and how it impacted the lives of many people.
Wade said that in the midst of the unfolding shooting, which resulted in a rare public warning sent out to all cell phones in the area, Langley Mounties, officers from neighbouring detachments, and members of other law enforcement agencies worked together.
“Afterwards, we continued to work closely with community partners to ensure they were looked after and felt safe,” Wade said. “We also recognized the impact this event had on our members and staff and brought in resources to ensure they were looked after and cared for. In the midst of this tragic event, it was gratifying to see everyone come together and support one another.”
While the Langley RCMP response was immediate, several other agencies launched investigations, including the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) and the Independent Investigations Office (IIO).
The IIO, which looks into any incident in B.C. in which a person is killed or seriously injured in an interaction with police, released its report on May 18.
The report focuses only on the final encounter between Goggin, his last victim, and the RCMP officer who shot and killed Goggin.
It revealed that Goggin had accosted the final victim, a man riding a bicycle on 200th Street, asking for drugs and then pointing a pistol at the man’s head.
There was a struggle, and the victim was shot in the leg, but managed to remove the magazine from the gun.
Police, including the critical incident commander of the ERT, arrived moments later, and confronted Goggin in a nearby parking lot, where he had re-loaded his pistol. The ERT commander shot Goggin through the windshield of his RCMP vehicle.
The IIO report found the shooting justified, and also said the officer should be commended for his actions.
However, because it only focused on the final confrontation, it did not look into the other shootings – the deaths of Paul Wynn and Steven Furness, or the attack that seriously injured a woman near the Cascades Casino.
READ MORE: Officer who shot spree shooter should be ‘commended’ for bravery: report
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IHIT announced an investigation that is ongoing, but did not provide an update by press deadlines.
There is one other possible hearing that could shed light on what happened, including probing Goggin’s motives – a BC Coroners’ inquest.
“Typically, an inquest would be one of the last investigative proceedings in a death,” said Ryan Panton, a spokesperson for the BC Coroners Service.
At this point, no decision has been made about whether the shootings will result in an inquest, said Panton.
An inquest is a formal court process with a jury of between five and seven citizens.
Unlike criminal trials, it does not exist to determine whether or not someone is guilty. Instead, it is aimed at fact-finding.
The verdict, written by the jury and with comments by the presiding coroner, classifies the death or deaths involved, and makes recommendations to prevent similar deaths or incidents in the future.
Inquests can be held for a number of reasons, including when there has been significant community concern around a death.
• Stay tuned for more
Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com
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