Susan and Barry Wonch. COURTESY OF GLOBAL NEWS

By Dale Boyd 

Osoyoos Times

Two of the four people killed in the deadliest alleged shooting on record in Penticton had moved there from Osoyoos just years prior and are remembered fondly as “great neighbours.”

Global News has identified Susan and Barry Wonch as two of the four allegedly shot and killed by John Brittain, 68, who now faces four counts of murder.

Deb and Gord Sexton lived next door to the Wonch family for 13 years on Kingfisher Drive and even helped them move up to Penticton around three years ago.

“They were great neighbours,” Deb said. “We shared yard work, paving, shared a shed … Barry was always willing to help with anything. Very good at fixing anything.”

The Wonchs built their house next door to the Sextons in around 2003 and a friendship blossomed.

“Sue was forever cooking for the neighbourhood. We enjoyed moving next to them, never had any problems,” Deb said. “ I remember great parties at Sue’s mother’s house. Lots of games, lots of fun. They put a pool in, they were always willing to have us come over with our grand kids when they visited.”

The Sextons fondly recalled multiple trips down to Reno, NV. with the Wonchs, one time even taking a bus down to Nevada together.

“It was fun, we always had a good time with them,” Deb said.

The Wonchs were retired when they came to Osoyoos, with Barry formerly working at a packing house in Richmond, Gord said.

“We helped them move up (to Penticton) and everything, went up there for lunch a few times,” Gord said.

Mayor Sue McKortoff called the situation “awful,” and expressed a common feeling of surprise in the community that a shooting of this magnitude happened in the Okanagan Valley.

“It’s an awful situation that this is happening. It seems to be happening everywhere in the world more often which is pretty scary, but locally? Heavens. In Penticton and Salmon Arm within two days of each other, it’s awful,” McKortoff said.

“Of course we all feel very badly this happened we hate to see and hear these kind of things.”

Brittain, a former civil engineer for the City of Penticton, is facing three counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. He appeared briefly in provincial court in Penticton on Tuesday and remains in custody.