Days after a total of nine people were found dead at three locations throughout the Edmonton-area, Edmonton police released the identities of the people killed, and more details as to what happened in the days and hours leading up to the deaths.

“It’s been a terribly grim week in our city, following the senseless murders of eight individuals, two of which were innocent children,” Acting Deputy Chief Mark Neufeld said in a news conference Friday.

Police confirmed Friday that all eight people murdered Monday died of gunshot wounds, and Phu Lam, 53, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Investigators identified the seven people found dead in a home on Edmonton’s north side, on 83 Street and 180 Avenue, as: Thuy Tien Truong, 35, Elvis Lam, 8, Thanh Ha Thi Truong, 33, Valentina Nguyen, 3, Thi Dau Le, 55, Van Dang Truong, 55, and Viet Nguyen, 41.

Police said Thuy Tien Truong was Lam’s partner, and Elvis Lam was their son. In addition, Thanh Ha Thi Truong was Phu Lam’s sister-in-law, and Valentina was her daughter. Officials said Thi Dau Le was mother to the sisters. Police said all five lived in the north side home.

Van Dang Truong was Thi Dau Le’s estranged husband, and father to the sisters – police said it’s not clear where he lived. Viet Nguyen was an acquaintance of Thuy Tien Truong.

Cyndi Duong, 37, had previously been confirmed as the victim in the southwest Edmonton home.

Timeline of the tragedy

On Monday night, officers were called to a south west Edmonton home, near Haswell Court and 16 Avenue, just before 7 p.m. on a weapons complaint.

Cyndi Duong, 37, was found dead in that home – investigators said there was no clear connection between Duong and Lam. Neufeld said it’s believed Lam went to the south side home to find someone else.

“I would say, it would be fair to say Mr. Lam went to that home not by accident, to locate somebody he thought would be there at the time,” Neufeld said. “That person was not present at the time and subsequently Cyndi was shot. In terms of why, I don’t know.”

Officers on the north side were called to the north side home at about 8:30 p.m. for a welfare check – officers found nothing suspicious at that location.

Later on, officers returned at about midnight for a second check, and they entered the home to find the seven people dead inside – three women, two men and the two children.

Finally, officers with Edmonton police and RCMP were called to a restaurant in Fort Saskatchewan – where the suspected shooter, later identified as Lam, was eventually found dead.

Now, officers say it’s believed the tragedies played out over three days.

“In terms of a timeline investigators determined that Tien Truong finished work at about 2 a.m. Sunday, December 28,” Neufeld said, investigators also said Ha Truong was at the north side home was in contact with another person via text message at about 3:45 a.m.

“At 8 a.m. on Sunday, December 28, Tien and her mother Thi Le failed to show up for an overtime shift at their place of employment,” Neufeuld said.

More than twelve hours later, police said the estranged husband of Ha Truong stopped by the home.

“He knocked on the door but got no answer and noted that a black [SUV] was parked at the north end address,” Neufeld said.

As for that vehicle, Neufeld said a witness saw it parked outside of the north end home Monday at 9:45 a.m. – but it was gone minutes later.

“On Monday, December 29 at 10 a.m. we know that Phu Lam dropped off two young children, aged 1 year and eight months at an adult relative’s home in north Edmonton,” Neufeld continued, saying the older child was believed to be the daughter of Phu Lam and Tien Truong, and the younger was believed to be the son of Ha Truong.

Neufeld said investigators believed there’s a chance those children were at the north side home when the others were killed – it’s believed those murders took place between 3:45 and 8 a.m. Sunday.

“The homicides, we believe, did take place prior to Lam dropping off the kids, there’s a possibility that those children were in the north end when the murders took place and for whatever reason they were spared,” Neufeld said, he did not answer questions on whether the victim’s defended themselves, or if there were signs of a struggle.

Neufeld said it wasn’t clear what Lam did until the afternoon of Monday, December 29 – but said in the late afternoon, he was at the home of relatives in southwest Edmonton.

“Phu Lam left that address shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday evening, that address is a 12 minute drive from Cyndi [Duong’s] residence, she was murdered at about 6:50 p.m.,” Neufeld said.

EPS said at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, Lam died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Fort Saskatchewan.

According to Neufeld, there were a number of details still under investigation, but one thing had become clear:

“Based on what we saw in the house, it was fairly obvious that it was planned and deliberate,” Neufeld said.

A long criminal record

The person behind in the worst mass murder in Edmonton’s history had a long criminal record, including accusations of violence in the past, most recently two years ago, according to court documents.

Documents obtained by CTV News indicate there were issues between Lam and his wife Truong.

The transcript from an Emergency Protection Hearing on November 6, 2012 indicated Truong met Lam in 2000 in Vietnam; they were married six months later.

Lam, who was 18 months her senior, sponsored her to come to Canada in 2003.

In the hearing, Truong testified her husband was unhappy after DNA tests proved her son Elvis, was not his.

She told the court Lam had sexually assaulted her at times; he also punched her in the chest and choked her.

She testified – through a translator – that Lam had said he had planned to kill off her whole family.

“He was going to look for a gun but no one would sell it to him,” the translator said in the hearing.

An emergency protection order was granted for Truong and her family in November 2012, and Lam faced nine charges, including assault and uttering threats – but they were stayed a month later.

The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service released a statement saying the statements in the hearing were either recanted or changed.

“In these circumstances, the Crown could no longer be satisfied that there was a reasonable likelihood of the conviction of Lam,” the statement read. “Accordingly, as required by their ethical obligations, the Crown stayed all charges against Mr. Lam on December 21, 2012.”

Lam had also been convicted of drug offences and two counts of communicating with a prostitute in 2001; he was also accused of careless use of a firearm that year – he also had charges dating back to 1987.

Criminologist Bill Pitt said he’s not surprised by Lam’s lengthy history.

“What makes this one different is that he had access to a firearm, a high capacity magazine in that firearm, and the will to use that firearm and the planning that went behind it,” Pitt said.

With files from Laura Tupper and Veronica Jubinville