Police identify victims of Stoney Creek double homicide

Police have identified the engaged couple who were allegedly gunned down by their landlord as they fled their Stoney Creek rental home following a dispute Saturday evening.

Officers say 28-year-old Aaron Stone was from Hamilton and 27-year-old Carissa MacDonald was originally from Huntsville but resided in Stoney Creek at the time of the deadly altercation, which revolved around “the state of the rental unit.”

Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing the couple running out of the home in the area of Jones Rd. and Barton St. shortly after 5:30 p.m. The tenants were pronounced dead within minutes of police arriving.

The 57-year-old suspect is a landlord who lived in a unit above the couple. Police say he barricaded himself inside the home for hours and fired several rounds as negotiators attempted to resolve the situation peacefully. Residents in the area were instructed to shelter in place.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said in a statement Saturday that a Hamilton police officer fatally shot the suspect following a four-hour standoff.

In another statement Tuesday, Ontario’s police watchdog says five firearms were taken from the house.

The SIU is now investigating the police shooting of the gunman, while Hamilton police are probing the murder of the engaged couple.

Investigators say none of the people involved were known to police prior to the shooting on Saturday.

‘Well-liked’ and ‘hard-working’ educational assistant

While little information about the victims has been made public, police say MacDonald was an educational assistant.

A spokesperson for the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB) confirmed to CHCH News that the 27-year-old woman was an educational assistant working for their board.

Multiple parents in Dunnville told CHCH News that MacDonald worked at St. Michael’s Catholic Elementary School and was “well-liked” and “hard-working.”

BHNCDSB Director of Education Michael McDonald and Chair Rick Petrella sent a letter to parents Monday urging them to pray for the families of the victims.

“We received the news of her passing through the media and want to share that, after connecting with Hamilton Police Service, the circumstances surrounding her death may be troublesome for some individuals,” the statement reads.

“It is important after tragedies like this, that as a catholic community we come together to support one another through our faith. Please hold the individual and her family in your prayers.”

Hamilton police have also confirmed that Aaron Stone, the male victim, was an electrician.

Anyone with information regarding this shooting is asked to contact Det. Robert DiIanni at 905-546-3836.

WATCH MORE: Hamilton police say double homicide happened after landlord-tenant dispute

With files from The Canadian Press.