Police are still investigating an attempted robbery at a Montreal bank in Saanich, BC, Tuesday morning.
On Thursday afternoon they gave an update with some more details, confirming when the first call came to 911 and the brand of the suspects ’vehicle.
Two armed suspects were killed on Tuesday and six officers from the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) were injured during an exchange of gunfire outside the bank.
Explosives were found in a nearby vehicle associated with the suspects and an RCMP explosives disposal unit brought from Vancouver was able to safely destroy them at a local landfill on Wednesday.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crimes Unit (VIIMCU) has taken over the investigation and the Office of Independent Investigations, the oversight body that reviews all police actions that result in death or serious injury , is also investigating what happened.
On Thursday evening, both the Victoria and Saanich police departments began a five-hour large-scale search of two men in camouflage disguise described as “suspects,” who were initially reported to police just a block from the bank location in Saanich.
However, after the men were found in the center of Victoria a few hours later, Victorian police said no weapons had been found, that there was no risk to the public and that there was no link with the man. banking incident two days earlier.
Where and how did the incident start?
According to Saanich Chief Const. Dean Duthie, the first call to 911 arrived at 11:02 a.m. on Tuesday, June 28th.
Minutes later, GVERT officers and members of the Victoria and Saanich police departments responded to reports that two gunmen had broken into a bank at 3600 block of Shelbourne Street in Saanich, BC.
Videos recorded by spectators show police running towards the building, guns pointed, some hiding behind vehicles and bushes as they fired shots. Several witnesses who took refuge at the scene said they saw and heard dozens of shots in quick succession as the suspects exchanged shots with police.
A police officer is on guard after two gunmen entering a bank were killed in a shootout with police in Saanich on Tuesday. (Kevin Light / REUTERS)
Police said the shooting started outside the bank, although it was not immediately clear who fired first. The bank is located in a predominantly residential neighborhood of Saanich, one mile west of the University of Victoria campus south of Vancouver Island.
Chief Duthie said a GVERT team was in the area on Tuesday “in a completely separate and unrelated investigation” and could be deployed back to the bank immediately.
What do we know about the suspects?
On Thursday afternoon, Cpl. Alex Bérubé said police are still working with the BC forensic service to positively identify the two suspicious men.
“Once completed, our first priority will be to talk to the closest relatives,” he said. “And we will move forward to determine more about them … their background, who they are, their stories and how that might relate to what happened.
Bérubé said the suspects were believed to be driving a 1992 white four-door Toyota Camry with two black stripes on the hood and roof. Anyone who has seen a car that matches this description during the week before the incident is asked to contact police.
A police car identified as a 1992 white four-door Toyota Camry with black stripes on the hood and roof is seen in Saanich, BC on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Police say the car was associated with the suspects and ask for any public councils. (CBC News)
Police have said the suspects were armed and are believed to be wearing body armor, a detail corroborated by several witnesses.
Shelli Fryer was one of 22 people inside the bank that day. He told CBC it was his first visit to that branch and he was meeting with a branch manager in his office when he calmly told him the bank was being stolen.
“And I look up and at the door there’s a guy right there with an assault rifle,” he said. “[Wearing a] balaclava, vest, guards on the legs “.
Witnessing the robbery at a BC bank describes a surreal experience
Shelli Fryer was at the Bank of Montreal in Saanich, BC for an appointment when armed robbers entered on June 28th.
Fryer said the person he saw at the door asked the manager to take them around the bench, and then he heard the suspects whispering to each other as they walked down the hall.
“They were waiting for something. Walking in silence, like a walk in the countryside,” he said.
Fryer said she was left alone for five to ten minutes in the office. During this time, he pulled out his cell phone and called 911.
“Why were they waiting, what were they doing?” she wondered. “They could have taken the money and left.”
What do we know about the police who were injured?
Six police officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire between two suspects and several police officers. Three officers have already returned home with their families. None of the agents’ names have been released.
According to the Saanich police department, the other three officers were seriously injured – one is still in the ICU – and will need additional surgery and treatment in the coming months.
All of the officers who were injured are part of the GVERT, but three of them work for the Victoria Police Department while the other three work with the Saanich Police Department.
Chief Duthie said other officers did an “excellent job” caring for his injured colleagues at the scene. He credited them with saving the lives of at least three agents.
Is there a third suspect?
On Tuesday, police put shelter advice on several blocks on either side of the bank, saying they were looking for a potential third person involved in the robbery. The notice was raised at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Shelli Fryer said he saw three suspects inside the bank.
Police have said they have no information to lead them to believe there is any danger to the public, but have not yet ruled out the possibility of a third suspect.
Saanich police join Victoria police and the RCMP as they respond to shootings involving several people at the Bank of Montreal in Saanich. (Chad Hipolito / The Canadian Press)
What about explosives?
Bérubé said an RCMP explosives disposal unit was dealing with the highly volatile and dangerous situation and several firearms were found at the site.
He said multiple “improvised explosive devices” were found inside the Toyota Camry that were believed to be related to the suspects.
The bombs were examined by the RCMP team, placed inside safe containers and then taken to the Saanich landfill for disposal.
When will we know more?
Saanich Police Department and RCMP are expected to provide more updates in the coming days.
Police say they can only share information with the public if they are absolutely certain it will not jeopardize ongoing investigations or contaminate the memory of witnesses yet to be interviewed.