September 4, 2020
Oshawa, Ontario
Mark Slapinski
Update (9:50 PM September 6)
The Coroner’s Office has confirmed the identity of the victims killed in Friday’s massacre.
The names of the victims are:
Chris TRAYNOR (50);
Bradley TRAYNOR (20);
Adelaide TRAYNOR (15);
Joseph TRAYNOR, (11)
Loretta Traynor survived the shooting, and is still recovering in the hospital. The homicide squad is asking for additional details about Mitchell Lapa’s motivation for the massacre. Lapa was the uncle of the family he slaughtered on Friday. Community members have stated Mitchell was angry over an inheritance dispute.
Relations between Loretta and her brother Mitchell soured after the death of their father, and it is reported that this eventually lead to Mitchell snapping, and seeking revenge on his sister’s family. The psychosis angle has been floated, but has not been confirmed. However, some community members describe Mitchell as a troubled man, even at an early age, when he was “in and out of trouble.”
Update (7:50 PM September 4)
Durham Regional Police have confirmed earlier reports that Mitchell Lapa was the lone shooter in the Traynor family massacre. He was an “uninvited guest” to the home, and was from Winnipeg. The truck found close to the scene, with Manitoba license plates, has been confirmed by police to belong to Mitchell.
Police have not officially confirmed reports of an inheritance dispute as the motivation for the killings, but many community members believe this is the case, based on information provided to them by the family shortly before the shooting. A further update from police is expected within the next 24 - 48 hours.
Update (6:36 PM September 4)
The people of Oshawa continue to mourn over the murder of the Traynor family. Chris Traynor was actively involved in his community in Oshawa, and his friends are remembering the times they spent together.
Earlier this afternoon, the investigation at the Traynor family home on Parklane Avenue was called off temporarily due to a bomb scare, and the bomb disposal unit was called in. The house was deemed safe by police after inspection. It is not clear what the police observed that caused them concern.
The investigation continues.
Update (3:24 PM September 4)
Additional community members that knew the Traynor family allege that Mitchell Lapa - from Winnipeg - killed his sister’s family over his father’s inheritance. Matthew Lapa passed away on January 20, 2019. His death will lead to a dispute between his son Mitchell (the Uncle) and his daughter Loretta (the Mother).
It has also been suggested that Mitchell suffered from some sort of psychosis, but that has not been confirmed. Mitchell is said to have killed 4 family members, including Chris Traynor, before turning the gun on himself. Loretta Traynor survived the shooting, and is expected to recover.
Original Article
5 people were killed in Oshawa early this morning. The police have released few details as the investigation continues. 1 female is deceased and 4 males are deceased. The police have yet to officially confirm the identities of the accused. As of this writing, the police are waiting for a warrant to re-access the house. The house is on Parklane Avenue, near Harmony Road North and King Street East.
Another woman is in the hospital with gunshot injuries.
According to social media users claiming to have information on the crime, the deceased family’s surname is Traynor. The father, is reported to be Christopher Traynor. People are expressing their grievances on social media. He was a teacher at the local high school.
The murder / suicide was reported to be over a will / inheritance dispute gone wrong, and the uncle allegedly killed his sister’s family while they were sleeping. Toronto Today contacted one of the people making the claims, and received this statement in response.
It is reported that it is a family of 6. The family was well known in the community. One Reddit user claims his Dad ate lunch with Mr. Traynor yesterday. The uncle allegedly “shot them all when they were sleeping. He then killed himself.”
On Twitter, one user echoed the claims made on Reddit. Toronto Today has not been able to verify the link between this user and the deceased family as of this writing.
Very tragic.
— Ole Manhattan (@Ole_Manhattan) September 4, 2020
Based on what I could determine, this may have been a dispute with the uncle from Winnipeg over an inheritance.