Winnipeg Police charge man with double homicide

Alex Donald Courchene of Winnipeg was arrested on Sept. 18 and charged with two counts each of second-degree murder and arson with disregard for human life.

Winnipeg Police say the victims were a couple, Geda Wodisso, 49, and Zenabu Gula, 38.  They didn’t know the Courchene prior to the incident.

On September 14, 2024, at approximately 2:49 a.m., the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service (WFPS) and the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) responded to a serious fire at a commercial and residential mix-use building in the 200 block of Atlantic Avenue.

While putting out the fire, WFPS rescued a man and woman from the home and started life-saving measures. They were taken to hospital in critical condition and pronounced deceased. Two other adults were treated for smoke inhalation.