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Vernon Massacre

Photography by Gary Moore

The Vernon Massacre. On April, 5th 1996, Marc Chahal, a gun club member, calmly walked into a house in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada and shot to death his estranged wife Rajwar Gakhal, her sister, the bride to be and seven of her relatives from the Saran family. Two others were wounded. A then 6-year-old girl, Brittany Saran, witnessed the massacre. Chahal then drove a rental van to his motel room and killed himself after writing a short apology.
One of the most horrific mass murders in Canada raised questions regarding the connection between ethnicity, religion, culture and family violence.
Out of the horror of this event questions arose about the way the RCMP processed the murderer's gun application and about the way police handle reports of violence against women in relationships.
The massacre of the Gakhal and Saran families in Vernon, BC, brought to the forefront, once again, the horror of violence against women and children. It also signified how societal systems fail to protect women from abusive partners.
The sun begins to rise over the Gakhal residence in Vernon, British Columbia
The sun begins to rise over the Gakhal residence in Vernon, British Columbia A local couple pay their respects at the driveway of the Gakhal house after hearing the disturbing news
A local couple pay their respects at the driveway of the Gakhal house after hearing the disturbing news RCMP and relatives of those murdered talk in front of the Gakhal house
RCMP and relatives of those murdered talk in front of the Gakhal house A distraught Gakhal relative looks at photos of the deceased at the house the day after.
A distraught Gakhal relative looks at photos of the deceased at the house the day after. Family members of the deceased break down in front of film crews the day after the massacre.
Family members of the deceased break down in front of film crews the day after the massacre. A young neighbor plays with a toy gun unaware of the horror that took place next door.
A young neighbor plays with a toy gun unaware of the horror that took place next door. A woman places flowers on the Gakhal residence lawn after hearing the disturbing news.
A woman places flowers on the Gakhal residence lawn after hearing the disturbing news. Two Sikh men watch as coffins are brought in the back door of a local school in Vernon, British Columbia
Two Sikh men watch as coffins are brought in the back door of a local school in Vernon, British Columbia A young boy, visibly distraught, is led a way by a family member prior to the funeral.
A young boy, visibly distraught, is led a way by a family member prior to the funeral. Two Sikh women comfort each other before the funeral for those killed in the bloody gun rampage.
Two Sikh women comfort each other before the funeral for those killed in the bloody gun rampage. Caskets line the stage of an auditorium, in a high school turned funeral home, in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Caskets line the stage of an auditorium, in a high school turned funeral home, in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada Members of the Sikh community traveled far and wide to pay their respects
Members of the Sikh community traveled far and wide to pay their respects School friends of one of the deceased break down while paying their respects at the Vernon school.
School friends of one of the deceased break down while paying their respects at the Vernon school. A lone woman pays her respects to a young member of the Gakhal family.
A lone woman pays her respects to a young member of the Gakhal family. People file past the open caskets on stage at a Vernon school.
People file past the open caskets on stage at a Vernon school. A woman comforts two other distraught women at a funeral for the Gakhal and Saran families
A woman comforts two other distraught women at a funeral for the Gakhal and Saran families