A stately Almonte home was turned into a nightmarish scene Thursday as a man shot his former common-law partner and her father — killing the older man, a Mississippi Mills councillor — before turning the gun on himself.

Provincial police officers were called to the home around 7:30 a.m.

There, they found Bernard Cameron, 65, dead. Bernard’s 28-year-old daughter, Sarah Cameron, had also been shot and sustained what police called life-threatening injuries.

Her former common-law partner and the father of her two children, Travis Porteous, 33, from nearby Carleton Place, was suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police sources said.

Porteous and Sarah Cameron were taken to different hospitals, one air-lifted. On Thursday evening, police confirmed Porteous had died. Sarah was in stable condition in hospital.

Porteous arrived at the home and is believed to have started arguing with Sarah.

At some point, Bernard became involved and police said Travis shot his children’s grandfather dead.

Sarah’s mother, Catherine, then ran upstairs, with Travis and Sarah’s four-year-old daughter and five-year-old son, who were inside the home. Police then believe Travis shot Sarah before shooting himself.

Bernard was one of 10 councillors in Mississippi Mills. He represented Almonte ward. Mayor Shaun McLaughlin told the Citizen the area is stunned.

“We’re all in shock here right now, the town, people in town, council, his colleagues, everybody’s in shock,” McLaughlin said.

“Bernard got into office because he believed he would serve the people of Almonte as their spokesperson. He’s got a very high ethical standard, was a very progressive thinker. He believed that he could give back to the community.”

Bernard spent years teaching Grade 9 and 10 English at Almonte and District High School and retired in 2007. “There’s generations of kids who learned under him, many of them still live here in town.”

Daughter Sarah Cameron works as a personal support worker at Almonte Country Haven, a long-term care facility.

“We’ve already started a collection for her in the home. We want to be able to support Sarah through her recovery,” said co-worker Carolyn Della Foresta.

Travis Porteous’s uncle, Orville Porteous, said he hadn’t seen his nephew “for a few months.” He said he couldn’t speculate on Travis’s state of mind and that members of the Porteous family had few details on what had happened.

Travis received a conditional discharge in May 2003 for an assault but had no violent criminal history.

He was given a ticket in 2014 for public intoxication in Lanark and a ticket in 2011 for a licence plate violation. In August 2009, Porteous was given another public intoxication ticket after urinating on a bar patio and being verbally abusive with bar staff.

Police are are not looking for any outstanding suspects in what is now believed to have been a murder-suicide.

Bernard is survived by his wife, their four children, three of whom were adopted, including Sarah, and six grandchildren.

Travis is survived by his two children, his father and brother.

The Lanark Country crime unit, under the direction of OPP acting Det. Insp. Mark Zulinski, of the criminal investigation branch, continues to investigate the shooting. Police continue to conduct forensic testing at the home on Strathburn Street.

With files from Andrew Seymour, Paula McCooey and The Canadian Press

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