Four deaths in Richmond, B.C., believed to be a murder-suicide, police say

Homicide investigators say they believe the targeted shooting that left four people dead in a Richmond, B.C., home was a murder-suicide.

The victims were all members of the same family and include a 71-year-old father, a 58-year-old mother, their 23-year-old son and a daughter, aged 21.

Sgt. David Lee of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the shootings do not appear to be a case of partner violence and that the son had a firearms licence and access to weapons.

Lee says investigators are looking through journals and social media posts to see if they can determine a possible motive for the deaths.

The shootings were discovered Tuesday after a neighbour called police to report that the lights in the home had been left on for an unusual amount of time.

Police have said they believe the shooting happened Monday evening.

Lee says investigators are still interviewing witnesses and are asking anyone who was in the area on Jan. 24 or has information to contact the homicide team.

"We're combing through evidence. It's difficult to determine how much we have."

He says determining who was the shooter through firearms ballistics could take weeks, if not months.

"At this stage, preliminary findings suggest that one of the family members was the shooter," police say in a news release. "(Homicide) investigators have followed the evidence, starting with a search warrant without presumptions on motive or responsibility."