Send this page to someone via email A Salmon Arm man says his father, Gordon Parmenter, was shot and killed Sunday morning by a man armed with an “assault-style rifle” at the Salmon Arm Church of Christ in the B.C. interior. Parmenter was a 78-year-old elder at the church and was targeted in the shooting, according to his son Dave Parmenter. “A young man just came in in the middle of the service with an assault-style rifle and targeted one man in the church, and it was my father, and shot him,” Dave Parmenter said. He said the shooter left the scene and returned moments later before church members tackled him to the ground and held him until police arrived. “[He] came back a second time and was very focused on him again and shot him another couple of times and in that exchange, he shot another man in the leg who happened to be in the way,” he said. Story continues below advertisement “Myself and a few others wrestled the man to the ground and took the weapon away from him.” Late Sunday, police confirmed that two people had been shot, one of them fatally, at the church. The second victim was airlifted to hospital in stable condition, police said. Police were called to the scene shortly after 10:30 a.m., where they said a 25-year-old man had been wrestled to the ground by parishioners. He was arrested at the scene, and police seized a rifle. The suspect remains in custody, and police say charges are pending. Here’s a look at the scene outside of #SalmonArm’s church. BC Ambulance says it was called around 10:30 a.m for two patients, but only one was taken to hospital. Second patient’s status is not known. When I arrived, people were milling around in the parking lot crying and hugging pic.twitter.com/G8SETRDhhy — Jules Knox (@Jules_Knox) April 14, 2019 Parmenter said the alleged shooter and victim were known to each other but a motive is unclear. He said the alleged shooter is “very well-known to our family and was struggling with mental health issues.” Parmenter said his father was a man of faith, a cabinet-maker by trade, and fostered youth. “Many years of fostering, many years of service in his church, many years of pouring his heart out to others,” he said. “I just know that everybody is sad. It’s such a sad thing to happen. There’s lots of victims now and the young man is also a victim.” Story continues below advertisement Heavy police presence outside of #SalmonArm’s Church of Christ. pic.twitter.com/tBcVyFaocM — Jules Knox (@Jules_Knox) April 14, 2019 Parmenter confirmed his father’s home also burned down in an arson last month. A video posted to Twitter on Sunday morning showed an air ambulance landing in nearby Blackburn Park. BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) spokesperson Amy Robertson says two ground ambulances and one air ambulance responded to the call that came in at 10:37 a.m. Witnesses at the scene said people were crying and visibly upset. Parmenter is being remembered as a loving long-time foster parent. “From about 2012 to 2018 I was under his care in the foster system. He helped raise me and made me who I am. He was very kind. We would spend a lot of time talking about the world,” said Parmenter’s former foster child Cole Wintringham. Advertisement<doc-sep>UPDATE: 'Lots of people woke up without a father this morning,' says son of church elder shot dead in Salmon Arm One man is dead, another person is in hospital and a suspect is in police custody after a shooting at a small church in Salmon Arm, B.C., on Sunday. This undated photo from the Salmon Arm Church of Christ website shows Gordon Parmenter with his wife Peggy. (Salmon Arm Church of Christ) Family members have confirmed that the deceased is Gordon Parmenter, an elder at the Salmon Arm Church of Christ. Police say the shooting was not religiously motivated. Police and B.C. Emergency Health Services said they received calls around 10:30 a.m. PT about two people who had been injured at the church. One of the injured was airlifted to hospital, and is in stable condition, said Salmon Arm RCMP. The local church was hosting an event when a male allegedly entered the church and shot two parishioners, according to police. Mounties said a 25-year-old man was taken into custody after being wrestled to the ground by a number of parishioners. A rifle was seized. 1 victim known to suspect Police said there is no active or ongoing threat to the public. "Police have determined that at least one of the victims was known to the suspect, and it is not believed at this time the event was religiously motivated," said Staff Sgt. Scott West, the Salmon Arm RCMP detachment commander. Mark Parmenter, the grandson of Gordon Parmenter, said the family knows the person who allegedly shot the elder Parmenter. He also told CBC News that his grandparent's home was burned in a suspicious fire in March. Police have not said if the two incidents are related. The Parmenters have been described by people who know them as a large and religious family. Gordon Parmenter and his wife Peggy were also foster parents. Cole Wintringham said the Parmenters were his foster parents from 2013 to 2017 and he credits Gordon for helping him graduate high school, develop confidence to participate in theatre, pursue music and go onto college. "He would never give up on any one of us, he often told me to the effect there were no 'bad kids' just kids who fell through society's cracks," wrote Wintringham in a statement sent to media. "It is for those kids, myself included, that he dedicated his home and life to helping." 'Our hearts are broken' Marie Taylor, 79, a member of the church, also released a statement to CBC News regarding the violence at the church on Sunday. "Our hearts are broken, we feel so blessed to have the faith that we have," it said. "It gives us the strength to love and forgive in any situation. We are praying for all the families affected." Taylor said elders at the church are usually older volunteers who share their time and experience to help other people, both from the church and in the broader community. First responders were called to the Salmon Arm Church of Christ on 5th Avenue around 10:30 a.m. PT. (Leah Shaw/CBC) Her daughter who spoke to CBC News said the congregation is made up of 50 members or less and is a non-denominational Christian church. According to documents filed with Revenue Canada, the church has been a registered charitable organization since 1967. As of 2018, it had $187,384 in assets, including land and buildings. It issued tax receipts for gifts totaling $45,595 in the 2018 tax year.<doc-sep>One person has died and another remains in hospital following a Sunday morning shooting at a Salmon Arm church. Article content A man who was killed at the Salmon Arm Church of Christ on Sunday morning had recently dealt with police after his home burned down. According to Global News, the man killed was 78-year-old Gordon Parmenter. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Man killed at Salmon Arm church was recent victim of suspected arson Back to video Parmenter was an elder at the church. He is described on the church’s website as being married with four children, numerous grandchildren and having hosted several foster children “who have benefited from their godly home and teachings.” In the early hours of March 14, a trailer at Broadview Mobile Villa that was owned by Parmenter and his wife Peggy was destroyed by fire. The couple escaped but lost most of their belongings in the fire. In a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the Parmenters, it was stated there was an ongoing police investigation into the fire. “At this point, people may know that all the tires on both vehicles were slashed,” the campaign page went on to say. On Sunday morning around 10:30 a.m., churchgoers were gathered at the Salmon Arm church when a man allegedly entered the building and shot two of the parishioners. Other parishioners jumped into action and wrestled the gunman to the ground, seizing his rifle and holding him until police arrived. “Police attended and entered the church immediately to determine that two individuals were seriously wounded and required urgent medical assistance,” read an update from Salmon Arm RCMP. A B.C. Ambulance spokesperson said that two ground ambulances and one air ambulance were sent to church at 490 5 Ave. SW, which is in a light industrial zone, at 10:37 a.m. The air ambulance landed at Blackburn Park, across the road from the church, and took away one person, while the other individual was declared dead at the scene. Police said the gunman was a 25-year-old man who has since been taken into custody. He said police did not believe there is a continuing threat to residents of the area. “While the investigation is in the preliminary stages, there is no information to suggest there are any ongoing threats to public safety,” said Staff Sgt. Scott West of the Salmon Arm RCMP. “Police have determined that at least one of the victims was known to the suspect, and it is not believed at this time the event was religiously motivated.” Police continue to investigate.<doc-sep>UPDATE: Man charged in deadly Salmon Arm shooting The son of a Salmon Arm, B.C., church elder who was shot dead Sunday morning says he was a father figure to more than just his own four children. Gordon Parmenter, 78, was killed after a man armed with a rifle opened fire in the Church of Christ around 10:30 a.m. PT. His son David Parmenter, 51, said that his California-born father had fostered children with special needs for decades — and knew the suspect now arrested in connection with his death. "He was just a big father figure in lots of people's lives. Always willing to help. Just has a big servant heart. There's lots of people who woke up without a father this morning," he said. A 25-year-old man is in custody after the shooting. Witnesses said the man took aim at two parishioners. One man was shot in the leg and is in stable condition in hospital. Gordon Parmenter died at the scene. Police say they do not believe the shooting was religiously motivated. A shotgun was seized and charges are pending. An undated photo from the Salmon Arm Church of Christ website showing Gordon Parmenter with his wife Peggy. (Salmon Arm Church of Christ) David Parmenter said his father was a pillar in his community, known for helping young people at high risk and in need. He said his father knew the alleged suspect and loved him. "He had poured his love out to him as well," he told CBC Monday morning. He said he believes his father was targeted, particularly in light of two incidents last month. David Parmenter said his father's house was deliberately set alight and the tires of his vehicle were slashed. "It was an arson and his tires were slashed. It was a very clear message, but we had no idea who would have done this," David Parmenter said. Near-death accident as teen He said his father had various jobs over the decades. He worked as a logger in Arizona and Montana and was almost crushed to death in a Montana logging accident at age 17, said his son. He said his father then joined the U.S. navy before moving to Vernon, B.C., in 1985, where he worked as a regional manager at the Coca-Cola bottling plant. After that he bought into a hog farm in Tappen, B.C., until 1998, when the farm failed. David Parmenter said his father then began working with high-risk foster children and retrained to be a cabinet maker and a handyman. He says his father, who was married to Peggy Parmenter, had four children: Tony, Susan, Judy and himself. Judy died of cancer in 2003. Church elder Gordon Parmenter was shot dead at the Church of Christ in Salmon Arm on Sunday morning. Another person was injured in the shooting. (Gary Moore) 'Shock waves' through family, community Both members of the tight-knit Church of Christ congregation — which numbers about 50 members — and former foster children have expressed their grief at Gordon Parmenter's death. His sister-in-law Elaine Semmelmann described him as a pillar in her community on social media. "Shock waves are moving through my family and having us reeling with the loss of another beloved patriarch. My brother-in-law was killed this morning in a church shooting. It is a tragedy beyond what I can comprehend." Cole Wintringham wrote a tribute to the Parmenters in an obituary on social media, crediting them, and especially Gordon, for encouraging him to graduate and explore theatre and music. "Without him I never would have made it to Grade 12. I was fear stricken at the thought of attending classes. However, I was able to reintegrate into the school system in Grade 11. I am now in my third term of college. I would not be there were it not for Gord." "I'll miss you forever Gordo, you were one of the best men I ever knew."<doc-sep>
A suspect has been charged in relation to a shooting that left one dead and another injured at a small, close-knit church in Salmon Arm, B.C. Matrix Savage Gathergood, 25, has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence in connection with the Sunday morning shooting. He is being held in custody and is set to appear in court on Tuesday. In Canada, first-degree murder — as opposed to second-degree — would be a deliberate killing planned in advance. Gordon Parmenter, 78, was killed after a man armed with a rifle opened fire in the Church of Christ in Salmon Arm, about 100 kilometres from Kelowna, around 10:30 a.m. PT. Gordon Parmenter and his wife, Peggy, in 2015. The couple shared four children. Witnesses said the man came into the church and took aim at two parishioners. One man was shot in the leg and is in stable condition in hospital. Parmenter died at the scene. He was an elder at the close-knit church, made up of about 50 members, volunteering his time to help others in the Shuswap community. RCMP said they do not believe the shooting was religiously motivated and that the suspect was known to at least one of the victims. A firearm was seized from the scene. David Parmenter, 51, said his California-born father fostered children with special needs for decades. The younger Parmenter, speaking early Monday morning, said his father was known for the loved he poured out to youth who needed it. RCMP officers investigate the fatal shooting at the Church of Christ in Salmon Arm, B.C. on Sunday. Mounties said they don't believe the deadly shooting was religiously motivated. (Murray Mitchell/Canadian Press) Gordon Parmenter's sister-in-law, Elaine Semmelmann, said the family and city are at a loss. "Shock waves are moving through my family and having us reeling with the loss of another beloved patriarch ... It is a tragedy beyond what I can comprehend," Semmelmann wrote online. Gordon Parmenter is survived by his wife, Peggy. The couple had four children together. An undated photo from the Salmon Arm Church of Christ website shows Gordon Parmenter with his wife, Peggy. (Salmon Arm Church of Christ) On Monday, Salmon Arm Mayor Alan Harrison said the city felt heavy. "Initially it was a feeling of disbelief, now, it's more sadness. Just a feeling of melancholy, I think, is in the air. People are thinking of how they can help — how they can support — the family, the congregation," Harrison said. "The fact that it took place in a place of worship and that it's so unusual for a city like ours is really a tragedy," he continued. "There is a lot of repairing to do." Harrison said he didn't know Gordon well, but he knows Peggy. "They're certainly a family that had foster children and that says a lot about them. They did that out of caring, out of community ... a family that gives back."