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By the Numbers: Gun Crime in Langley

Langley RCMP deal with shootings, stolen guns, and gun seizures.
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A vehicle investigated by Langley RCMP and IHIT near the scene of a double homicide on Sept. 1. (Langley Advance files)

Langley RCMP officers deal with guns and gun crime on a frequent, but not daily basis in their work in the community.

Statistics from 2017 shed some light on how often police deal with guns and gun violence.

Murders

In 2017, there were five murders in Langley, all of them shooting deaths.

• Tyrell Michael Sinnott, 20, shot dead April 1 in the parking lot of the Sandman Inn & Suites in Willoughby.

• Tyler Pastuck, 31, shot to death June 9 outside of Brown’s Social House on 62nd Avenue in Langley City.

• Brandy Petrie, a 34-year-old Burnaby woman, and Avery Levely-Flescher, a 20-year-old Surrey man, shot to death Sept. 1 in a Jeep near 232nd Street and 64th Avenue.

• Dai Duong Duong, 21, found shot to death Dec. 7 in the back yard of a Willoughby townhouse.

Shots fired

There were 10 cases of Langley RCMP responding to reports of shots fired during 2017, according to Cpl. Holly Largy, Langley RCMP spokesperson.

Firearms involved

Throughout the year, there were 128 police files that involved a firearm being present in some way.

Guns seized/turned over

The Langley RCMP colleced 214 firearms during one year, but that number does not tell the whole story. While some of those guns were seized from suspects, a great many of them were turned over, Largy said. In some cases residents called the RCMP to get rid of old guns they never used any more, or to deal with firearms left behind by deceased relatives. A large number of weapons turned in by a gun collector were a large percentage of the 214 guns.

Stolen firearms

The RCMP also takes incidents of stolen guns seriously, and recently issued an appeal for tips in the case of four stolen long guns taken from a North Langley property. A Winchester 300, a Winchester 12 gauge pump action shotgun, a Winchester 44 semi-automatic rifle, and a .22 calibre lever action rifle were all taken on Feb. 27. The guns were properly stored and had trigger locks, but the thieves found tools inside the home and breached the gun case.



Matthew Claxton

About the Author: Matthew Claxton

Raised in Langley, as a journalist today I focus on local politics, crime and homelessness.
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