Memorial planned for victims of Langley shootings one year later

A memorial is planned for Tuesday to mark one year since a deadly series of shootings in Langley.

The community BBQ is set to take place at the Langley Vineyard starting at 1 p.m. where attendees are set to honour Paul David Wynn and Steven Furness, the two men killed in the incident, and the two other people who were hurt.

Officers were called to several locations in the Township and City on the morning of July 25, 2022. The situation spanned hours prompting an emergency alert to mobile devices just before 6:30 a.m., urging people to avoid the area as the situation unfolded.

Police investigate in Langley, B.C. on Monday July 25th, 2022. (CityNews Image)

That alert said the shootings involved “transient victims” and police had an “interaction” with one suspect. The suspect was shot and killed by police, whose actions were later found to be “justified and necessary” by the BC Independent Investigations Office.

Two other people were hurt in the shootings.

Investigators previously said 60-year-old Wynn died at Creekstone Place, while 43-year-old Furness was found dead at the Langley bus loop near Logan and Glover Road.

Renewed calls to help those experiencing homelessness

Kimberly Snow, founder of the Langley outreach program Kimz Angels, says one year on, emotions for many in the unhoused community are still raw.

“It’s a year that’s gone by, but it doesn’t seem like it. It seems like it just happened yesterday because people are still talking about it.

“It’s really sad because you feel like they’re part of your family, and now they’re gone. You don’t want them to be forgotten,” Snow added.

She says, anecdotally, she knows many people experiencing homelessness in the area “are hiding,” noting there’s still concern about what happened a year ago.

“There’s a lot of fear in Langley,” she told CityNews ahead of the memorial. “People might not believe that, but it is there. Things have changed, but the sad part is nothing has been, so-called, done about it.”

Calls for adequate housing and mental health supports continue, with Snow saying despite announcements and promises, little has been done to help those experiencing homelessness.

While she feels it’s important to remember Paul and Steve, she says she wants to see more action and systemic change — not just when tragedy strikes.

“It’s a reminder every day. Now we’re celebrating it because it’s been a year, but it’s an everyday thing to these amazing souls,” she explained. “We should not ignore it until something like this happens. This happened a year ago, and all of a sudden, we’re all talking about it. Why aren’t we talking about it every day?”

In a conversation with CityNews on Tuesday morning, City of Langley Mayor Nathan Pachal says he was hoping the memorial serves as an opportunity to continue the grieving process and “advocate for other supports.”

As Pachal explains, things are being done for those experiencing homelessness or in need of mental health support — but more is always needed.

“I think you’ve seen movement on the provincial government’s part in really doubling down efforts in the last year to get more housing built across the spectrum for individuals,” he said. “We also know we need to do more around mental health. Certainly, that is an acute need in Langley.”

“There’s a lot of organizations doing good work in our community, but really coordinating that so it has the best outcomes for individuals as a municipality — we’ve started that process. We’re actually working through it right now, and I’m really optimistic that it’s going to drive meaningful change and transforms people’s lives in our community.”

Pachal says the memorial can be a reminder for Langley to “remain vigilant” and “advocate for other supports” while ensuring an incident like this doesn’t happen again.

A July 26, 2022 vigil for the victims of a shooting in Langley the day before. (CityNews image)

“My brother, he was a hero, and he saved lives. He took the blunt force of what happened that night, but more needs to be done. These two individuals that passed away — my brother and Steven — they didn’t need to die that way. That’s just a horrible way to go,” John Wynn, Paul’s brother, said at a vigil in the men’s honour in August 2022.

The vigil was as much a call to action as it was about the victims. Police initially suggested that Wynn and Furness were targeted because they were experiencing homelessness.

“They’re people, they are actually human beings sleeping on the streets. Steven died sleeping outside a building and was just shot to death. It’s just not fair,” said one vigil speaker, echoing the comments of many in the days after the shooting.

“These people were asleep in their bedrooms. That man’s bedroom was at the bus loop. I think we can do better than that,” said another person, highlighting the need for more supports for the community’s most vulnerable — in Langley and beyond.

“It drove home that need to make sure that we do better to protect those that are most vulnerable,” Pachal added.

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Others talked about how governments at all levels failed when it came to everything from valuing those on the edges of society to making a commitment to addressing mental health and addiction.

Investigators have said the 28-year-old suspect was known to them, though for “non-criminal contacts.” The motive for the shootings is still unclear.

With files from Martin MacMahon, Charlie Carey, Michael Williams, and Dean Recksiedler