Murder motive a mystery

SURREY, British Columbia -- Canadian investigators said Saturday they did not know the motive for the killings of six men whose bodies were found in a Vancouver-area apartment building or the victims' identities.

The bodies were discovered Friday in Surrey, south of Vancouver, after emergency personnel were called to the scene for a reported gas leak. The cause of death has not been released but police said the men were murdered.

"We haven't determined if this was a home invasion-style robbery, whether it was a targeted hit or a murder-suicide. All those things are on the table," Cpl. Dale Carr of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told reporters.

Carr said police did not believe it was a random attack, although residents of the building were urged to keep doors and windows locked in case the killer remained in the area.

Vancouver has had significant gang activity in recent years, with several multiple killings. Many of the gangs are linked to the illegal drug trade.

The Pacific coast city is a major growing area for marijuana, much of it smuggled into the United States.

Police said the person who discovered the bodies initially thought they were victims of a natural gas leak and called the fire department.

"There were bodies strewn about," said Carr, a veteran homicide detective. The bodies were reported to have been found in different rooms of the apartment.

Investigators have not identified the person who called for help or how they found the bodies. Police do not believe the men had been dead at the scene for a long time, but the time of the murder has not been determined.

"This is a very complex scene and it is going to take a number of hours, if not days, to get through this," Carr said.

The killings took place on the 15th floor of the building, which houses more than 100 apartments.

Residents of the building said that aside from petty crimes such as automobile break-ins, the building was not known to be a major trouble spot.

Glenna Westbrook initially thought police were responding to an illegal drug operation and was shocked to hear about the murders. "It's a little too close to home," Westbrook said.