Homicide investigators believe three people found dead in a Surrey home Monday afternoon were killed in a murder-suicide.
“It appears so,” IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Timothy Pierotti said in an interview when asked if that’s what happened.
“We can say that we believe there’s no outstanding suspects, anything like that, or any outstanding murder weapons.”
The three people have not yet been identified by police, but people laying flowers and visiting the Fraser Heights home Tuesday identified them as husband and wife Leo Li and Tiffany Li and their adult son Daniel Li.
“It’s a very decent family, and they liked the life very much,” said Juan Zou, who had dropped by. “They enjoy the life and Canada’s life.”
Zou said the family ran a tutoring business, something others in the neighbourhood also told CBC.
The three bodies were found around noon Monday inside the home on 112 Avenue near 156 Street by Surrey RCMP. They turned the case over to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
Police previously said the three adults found were all believed to be related and lived in the home, and no one else was inside.
‘Always smiling, helped people’
A steady stream of people came by the house Tuesday. Word spread fast through WeChat about the deaths, according to one neighbour.
Many people were emotional, shedding tears. Flowers were left outside the police tape cordoning off the yard.
Zou said Leo and Tiffany both graduated from Peking University, also called Beijing University. They met when they both worked at Metrotown in Burnaby.
Tiffany opened a tutoring business and taught French.
“She was a really nice teacher,” said neighbour Connie Kang. “Always smiling. Helped people. Very friendly to neighbours, to all the students.”
Leo started tutoring, too, as did their son Daniel who attended university in Victoria.
No ‘negative’ interactions
Pierotti, on Tuesday, said none of the people living inside had any “negative” police contacts prior to the gruesome discovery.
“There was no history at that residence of domestic violence or anything to that effect,” he said.
Police say they believe there is no ongoing risk to the public.
“We know that this kind of thing can affect an entire community,” Pierotti said. “There’s lots of people that will be affected by this.”
