Community mourns Traynor family tragedy
The community is in mourning after four people were shot and killed, and another injured, in a quadrupel murder-suicide that took place in Oshawa on Sept. 4. (Photo by Chris Jones)
By Courtney Bachar/The Oshawa Express/LJI Reporter
Flowers, pictures, and messages of memoriam line the curb in front of the house where a violent attacker claimed four innocent lives less than one week ago in a murder-suicide that shook the city to its core.
Police recently identified the names of the victims as Chris Traynor, 50, and children Bradley, 20, Adelaide, 15, and Joseph, 11.
The family was shot and killed in their home on Friday, Sept. 4 by Mitchell Lapa, 48, a relative of the family from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
According to police, Lapa was the sole shooter in the attack and was an uninvited person to the home. Lapa also died in the incident from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Chris’s wife Loretta, 50, was also shot and injured in the attack and is recovering in hospital.
Since the news of the shooting, the city has come together to mourn the tragic loss.
Chris was a teacher within the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB), having taught at Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic School in Oshawa. The board released a statement Monday in response to the tragic event.
Adelaide was also a student at Monsignor Paul Dwyer, and Joseph attended Sir Albert Love Catholic School in Oshawa.
“The Durham Catholic District School Board extends heart-felt appreciation to all who have reached out with messages of support, sympathy, and prayer as we process and grieve the loss of a beloved teacher and three of his children who were victims of a tragic event in Oshawa on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020,” the statement reads.
“As a Catholic community, in the midst of our despair, we are called to turn to our faith for comfort and hope. Through staff liturgies and with our parish communities we pray for the repose of the souls of Mr. Chris Traynor, and his children Bradley, Adelaide and Joseph.”
Chris and his youngest son, Joseph, were also heavily involved in the baseball community. Chris was a coach for many years with the Baseball Oshawa House League, more recently joining the Legionaires 12U Rep Team. Joseph was also a member of the rep team.
“Words cannot describe the shocking and senseless tragedy that has struck our wonderful community in Oshawa and impacted our collective baseball family,” says Ken Babcock, president of Baseball Oshawa in a statement.
Babcock notes Bradley and Sam, Chris’s oldest son who was not at home at the time of the incident, also played with Baseball Oshawa for many years.
“On behalf of Baseball Oshawa’s board, executive, coaches, players and families I wish to extend the most sincere and heartfelt prayers to the entire Traynor family (Chris, Loretta, Bradley, Sam, Adelaide and Joseph) and to all those affected by this horrible tragedy.
The city has also lowered the Canadian flag to half-mast at city hall and city facilities in memory of the victims of the Oshawa shooting.
“On behalf of city council and the City of Oshawa, we are extremely saddened to hear about the shooting in our community this morning that has resulted in the tragic loss of five lives,” says Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends during this difficult time.”
The flags will remain at half-mast until further notice.
As a new school year begins this week, the DCDSB says the wellbeing of students is a priority as everyone transitions back into school during these difficult circumstances, and will have a team of mental health professionals available to provide support to students and parents in need.
DCDSB has also established a Support Access Line that parents can call to be connected with a mental health professional. The DCDSB Support Access Line is 905-576-6150 ext. 21021.
The DCDSB will be holding an online prayer service for students, staff and community members which will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.
“We believe in the power of prayer, no matter where it is offered and hope that many will choose to join us at that time from their own homes,” says the DCDSB.
The event will be open to the public and can be accessed at www.dcdsb.ca/liturgy.
A GoFundMe has also been set up in support of the Traynor family.
“The Traynor family were beloved and active members of the Oshawa community. Their acts of kindness, love and generosity are unmatched. The impact the family had on everyone they touched will be forever remembered,” the page reads.
Funds raised will be given to the remaining family members to assist them moving forward. The original fundraising goal was $5,000 however, as of Sept. 8, more than $131,000 has been raised.
Durham police continue to investigate the motives behind a murder-suicide, which claimed the lives of four victims, as well as the lone attacker, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. (Photo by Randy Nickerson)
The Attack
Durham police were called to a residence on Parklane Avenue in Oshawa early morning on Friday, Sept. 4 after reports of multiple shots fired.
Speaking with The Oshawa Express, next-door neighbours Liz McIntosh and Cliff Chow say they first woke up to the sound of loud banging noises.
“I wasn’t sure it was gunshots because it didn’t sound like you think gunshots would be,” says McIntosh. She says it wasn’t until she heard a woman screaming, after about five or six shots, that she woke her husband and called the neighbours to see if they knew what was going on.
McIntosh says shortly after, they heard a couple more gunshots.
“Then I heard sirens, and from that point on, it was just flooded with police vehicles,” McIntosh continues, noting that’s when she saw officers with their guns pulled and realized what house it was and the severity of the situation.
“I was scared. Petrified,” she says. “At first I didn’t know what to be worried about because I didn’t know if they were gunshots, but then I heard the screaming voice, and that made me really nervous.”
She says, “I thought it was maybe in behind or something, because I never would think anything like that would happen.”
McIntosh described the family as “nice and cordial” and says she can’t believe something like this could happen right next door.
“They’re quiet and they stay with the family a lot. It was a tight family,” she says. “And now, knowing that a family like that, who you’d never think anything like that would happen to them happened, means anything could happen at any time.”
According to Durham Regional Police Constable George Tudos, forensic officers were able to gain entry into the residence under the coroner’s authority.
According to police, the vehicle located at the scene with Manitoba plates was registered to Lapa.
Officers initially described it as a “chaotic scene,” according to the police constable.
“There were numerous officers and a lot of information going,” he says, adding officers had to exit the residence once one of the parties was located.
“We made sure she was tended to by EMS, and right there made sure we locked it up to preserve the evidence,” he says.
The homicide unit is still investigating the motive for the shooting and police are also looking into the division of estate by the Lapa family.
Reports have indicated a division of estate assets among the family could have been a factor in the incident.
According to police, details of an active investigation cannot be released, however they are exploring all angles and are continuing to interview persons of interest, are working closely with the Winnipeg Police, and are following up on all information received.
Police are looking to speak with anyone who knew Mitchell Lapa as they seek to further understand the motivation behind the attack.
-With files from Chris Jones