In the early morning hours of June 25, 2022, a quiet Vancouver, Washington, neighborhood was disturbed by the sound of gunshots, leading to the discovery of a tragic murder-suicide. Christopher Berg, a 55-year-old White/Caucasian male, was found deceased in his apartment from multiple gunshot wounds. The events unfolded at a fourplex on East 16th Street, where neighbors reported hearing gunshots just after 12:30 a.m.
As police were dispatched to the scene, callers reported that smoke and
flames were now coming from the unit. Arriving officers evacuated the neighboring apartments as the Vancouver Fire Department worked to extinguish the two-alarm fire. Inside the fire-damaged apartment, emergency personnel discovered the bodies of two men.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office later identified the two men and determined the cause of their deaths. Christopher Berg's death was ruled a homicide. The second man, identified as 74-year-old Henry Oates Jr., was found to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a suicide. Investigators believe that Oates shot and killed Berg before taking his own life.
A caretaker for the apartment's primary occupant told investigators that the two men had been arguing more frequently in the days leading up to the incident and that the roommate relationship had significantly deteriorated. The Vancouver Police Department has stated that there are no outstanding suspects in the case. The fire, which was brought under control within 30 minutes, displaced three other families living in the apartment building.
