One dead and two hurt in Stratford, Ont. shooting, suspect also dead

Shocking new details have been released about Thursday night's triple shooting in Stratford, Ont.

The Stratford Police Service has identified the gunman as 31-year-old Ricky Bilcke and took the unusual step of naming all the victims.

They said Bilcke, using a high-powered rifle, first shot Jonathan Bennett, 36, from across the street. Bilcke then got a shotgun and fired at David Tokley, 43, from the road. A third person, Stephanie Irvine, was shot while she was leaving her home.

Police said Bilcke fired several other shots that hit nearby residences, before turning the gun on himself. He died at the scene.

Bennett was transported to Stratford General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Tokley and Irvine were both airlifted to Victoria Hospital in London, Ont.

Tokley is said to have life-threatening injuries, while Irvine’s injuries are described as life-altering.

Children were present at the time of the shooting but police are still trying to determine if they were directly involved.

Police tape at a home near Bradshaw Drive and McCarthy Road West after a shooting that left two people dead and two others injured. (Ashley Bacon/CTV News)

What neighbours heard

Police said they received multiple 911 calls about the shooting on Bradshaw Drive, near McCarthy Road, around 10:45 p.m.

“I woke up to banging sounds. There was small ones and then an explosion, it sounded like,” said neighbour D’Arcy-Ann Larin. “There was smaller pops after that.”

“I think we heard five or six [gunshots],” explained neighbour Kiranpreet Kaur. “There was a lot of screaming. Within two or three minutes there were six or eight police cars out there. We saw a lady with a bleeding arm.”

MORE: Neighbours, friends react to shooting in Stratford

“I saw the neighbours taking cover,” said Jangshant Singh. “I told my family to go into the back rooms [of my house] and I went too.”

Shooting investigation

The rift between the neighbours was well known to police.

“We’ve been receiving reports of ongoing neighbour disputes between the individuals involved,”Const. Darren Fischer confirmed. “We’ve been involved on a couple of occasions over the last several months.”

Meanwhile, anyone with video surveillance of the incident is asked to submit it to police online.

“We are aware of numerous videos of the incident that have been posted to social media,” they said a media release. “Out of respect to the victims of this incident we ask that those videos be removed.”

Stratford Police at Bradshaw Drive and McCarthy Road West investigating a fatal shooting. (Ashley Bacon/CTV News)

Neighbours on edge

All of the neighbours described Bradshaw Drive, and the surrounding area, as quiet.

“These are all new builds,” said Singh.

“We all were quite shaken,” explained Kaur, adding that’s she’s worried about letting her daughter outside. “I’m kind of scared to get out on the street and play with her.”

Larin was also left shaken.

“I’m feeling very anxious and I’m a little nerve-wracked,” she admitted.

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