One of two suspects in an attempted bank robbery in Saanich last Tuesday has failed to join the Canadian Armed Forces, according to a military spokesman.
Matthew Auchterlony applied to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) on an undisclosed date but did not pass the aptitude test required to join, the spokesperson told CHEK News.
However, in 2018 Auchterlonie completed CAF’s Soldier for a Day programme, which encourages anyone aged 15 and over to take part.
“As the name suggests, the program is of one day duration and at the end the participants are provided with a commemorative certificate. This is not a training activity, but rather a simple open house,” the spokesperson said in an email to CHEK News.
Matthew and his brother Isaac Auchterlony, both 22, were identified as the suspects involved in the June 28 shooting outside a BMO bank on Shelbourne Street.
They were twin brothers who former classmates say attended Frances Kelsey Middle School in Mill Bay.
READ MORE: Twin brothers from Duncan have been identified as suspects in a Saanich bank robbery
“Neither Isaac nor Matthew [sic] Auchterlonie, were once part of the Canadian Armed Forces in some capacity,” the CAF spokesperson added.
On Saturday, Capt. Alex Berube of the BC RCMP confirmed that the two were not known to police prior to the incident, noting that neither had a criminal record and a motive was not yet known.
Isaac’s now-deleted Instagram feed had a pattern of language against the federal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, including photos of bullets and posts often focused on gun control.
READ MORE: Justin Trudeau is the frequent focus of the Saanich shooter’s Instagram posts
It was about 11 a.m. when officers from Saanich Police, VicPD and the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) responded to BMO after a call that two armed men had entered the bank.
When multiple officers responded to the scene, the suspects began shooting at the police, sparking a shootout.
The two were eventually shot dead by police as six GVERT officers – three from Saanich police and three from VicPD – suffered gunshot wounds.
All six employees were rushed to hospital, including three who required surgery.
-With files from Oli Herrera
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