ROTHESAY, N.B. -- A candlelight vigil is being planned for a little girl who was the victim of a murder-suicide in Rothesay, N.B.
Members of the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force responded to a report of a sudden death at an apartment building on Sierra Avenue shortly after 10 a.m. Monday.
When officers arrived, they found the bodies of a 43-year-old woman and a seven-year-old girl inside one of the units.
Investigators have determined that the girl was the victim of a homicide, and that the woman then died from a self-inflicted injury.
The woman has been identified as Louise Caissie-Laflamme. Police confirm the girl was the woman’s daughter.
An advocacy group called Bridge of Hope – Saint John has organized a candlelight vigil for the girl, scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m.
According to a Facebook post for the event, people will meet at the beginning of Sierra Avenue and walk towards the apartment building where the pair lived. They will then light candles, have a moment of silence, and leave flowers and teddy bears at the site.
"You know, everyone knows everyone and everyone kind of knows the comings and goings of what's going on in our community so I think, it is, it's hitting hard," said Jessica Holly, the vigil organizer.
Holly, who is with Bridge Of Hope -- Saint John, said that the young girl, who was named Solange, was one of her son's friends.
"I had to tell my six-year-old boy before work that his friend was in heaven now so it was hard," Holly said.
The director of the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, Mary Ann Campbell says a case like this --- shakes a community to its core.
"Especially when we're parents or we work with children, and we appreciate the value of that relationship with a child," Campbell said.
Holly says this candlelight vigil is a time to come together as a community to honour this young girl. She also encourages people to bring things like teddy bears, flowers, and signs to leave behind as a show of support.
"Basically everybody in the community's been touched by this," Holly said. "So I felt that it was the proper time for bridge of hope to come back out and support our community again."
The vigil is happening on Sunday at 6 p.m. on Sierra Avenue in Rothesay.
As for the investigation, police say it remains open, and they are still looking for any information from the public, including anyone who might have spoken to the mother or daughter before their deaths.
