Landlord Allegedly Kills Engaged Couple Outside Home

Police said the two victims, who were set to be married in August, were "truly innocent"

Sean Neumann is a journalist from Chicago, Ill.

Hamilton Police

A landlord in Stoney Creek, Ontario, fatally shot an engaged couple renting out part of his home before he barricaded himself inside during an hours-long standoff that ended when he was shot dead by police, authorities say.The Hamilton Police Service identified the two victims of Sunday's violence as 27-year-old Carissa MacDonald and 28-year-old Aaron Stone, who they say were killed in what appeared to be a dispute with their 57-year-old landlord. The landlord has not been identified by police, while CBC reported the dispute may have been over mold in the home.

The landlord was fatally shot by police after a standoff that lasted several hours and included exchanges of gunfire between the man and the responding officers.

At one point during negotiations with police, Hamilton Police said "the suspect fired at the Hamilton Police armored vehicle" and then again fired at police, which led to officers firing back and killing the man.

"I was very saddened to hear about this senseless tragedy over the weekend, and my heart goes out to the families of the victims," Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath told CBC.

Hamilton Police

Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk said at a Sunday press conference that MacDonald and Stone were "truly innocent" victims. CTV News reported that MacDonald was an education assistant for the Brant County Catholic school board, while Stone was an electrician.

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"Our prayers are with her family and with all individuals impacted by this tragic situation," the Catholic school board's spokesperson Tracey Austin told CBC."As you can well imagine, these are not people that this should happen to," Bereziuk told CTV. "They're not involved in any level of criminality or lifestyle that may lead to an incident like this."

Bereziuk added that MacDonald and Stone were "both hardworking people, adding to the tragedy of this event."Police said the couple was engaged and died while trying to flee the home. In a recent Facebook post, MacDonald said she and Stone were set to get married in August.