Langley’s mass shooting spree on July 25, 2022, left Steven Furness and Paul Wynn dead, and two others injured. The Langley Advance Times reconnects with victims’ families and first responders on the shooting’s first anniversary.
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To honour Paul Wynn, his family will hold a small, private memorial ceremony in Langley on the anniversary of the spree shooting that claimed his life on July 25, 2022.
“It’s been a tough year,” said John Wynn, Paul’s brother. “It’s still fresh, it’s still hard to believe.”
Paul Wynn, 60, was one of two people murdered by Jordan Daniel Goggin in the hours between midnight and 5:45 a.m.
Goggin shot four people, leaving two wounded and two – Wynn and Steven Furness – dead. Goggin himself would be killed by an RCMP officer when police caught up to him after Goggin attacked and wounded his final victim near 200th Street and the Langley Bypass.
Paul Wynn was shot outside Creek Stone Place, a supportive housing building where he had lived since 2019.
Paul had been through major ups and downs in his life, but had found stability in the three years he’d lived at Creek Stone, his brother John said.
After a promising career working his way up through a food supply company, Paul had gone from the warehouse to management.
But drugs derailed his life, and for two or three years, he was living on the streets in the Lower Mainland. His family lost track of him for a time, until they located him at the Salvation Army Gateway of Hope Shelter in Langley.
He was one of the first residents of Creek Stone when it opened, and the stability of having a roof over his head every day was letting him make plans for the future again.
“Paul was doing great,” John said.
Just before the shooting, Paul had been talking about staying in Creek Stone for another year, then moving out on his own, getting a job.
He was shot outside the building, apparently having gone down in the early morning hours to tend to one of the building’s garden plots.
“It’s hard to deal with,” said John. “You always wish you could have been there more for him.”
READ ALSO: Shooting victim’s family hopes to leave legacy in honour of Paul Wynn
After the shooting, John said the family received regular updates from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), which announced an investigation, despite the fact that Goggin, the only suspect, was dead.
John said IIO officers told him that all of the weapons Goggin used or had in his possession were legally purchased.
Police and other officials have never publicly speculated on Goggin’s motive for the shootings, but an Independent Investigations Office (IIO) report released this spring noted that Goggin had benzodiazepine, codeine, and the opioid medication tramadol in his system when he was killed.
READ MORE: Officer who shot Langley spree shooter should be ‘commended’ for bravery: IIO report
He was suffering from depression and drug addiction at the time of the shootings, the IIO report said.
John believes Goggin was failed by the system.
“This individual, he was suffering.”
But he also thinks there should be stricter controls on guns for people with mental health issues. Info from doctors should be linked to the Canadian Firearms Registry, he said.
Goggin’s weapons should have been taken away before he could have used them on someone else, John believes.
The shooter’s friends and family could have spoken up, he said.
“If you see something that’s wrong, you’ve got to say something,” he said.
After the anniversary of Paul’s death, and the family’s personal memorial, John said they would still like more information about what happened and why.
An inquest by the BC Coroners Service should take place, he said. The coroners service has not yet announced if it will hold a formal inquest.
• Stay tuned for more
Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com
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