CBC News has learned the two victims of Tuesday's homicide were Daniel Soosay, left, and Curtis Ponecappo.

Vancouver’s two most recent homicide victims were brothers, and their younger brother, 15, was arrested and questioned by police following the killings, CBC News has learned.

Vancouver police have not made public the identities of the men, but CBC has learned they were Curtis Ponecappo, 19, and his half-brother, Daniel Soosay, 22.

In an interview with CBC News, the men’s older fourth brother, Adrian Ponecappo, insisted his siblings were not drug dealers.

“I can say right now it wasn’t gang-related,” Ponecappo said. “I can say right now it wasn’t some drug rip-off and that’s pretty much it — like, what happened was pretty much between the three, the shooter and the two victims.”

Adrian Ponecappo insists his two slain brothers were not drug dealers. (CBC)

Residents around the 1400-block of East 41 Avenue called 911 Tuesday morning after hearing shots fired at about 8 a.m. PT, police said. Witnesses could see several holes in one of the apartment's windows.

Ponecappo said his two brothers were each shot in the head with a sawed-off hunting rifle. He alleges they were then dragged from a backroom where they were killed to just beneath a front window and covered with a blanket.

Police have said little about the incident.

The men’s younger brother, who was staying at the apartment, was questioned by police for 10 hours Tuesday and questioned again Wednesday. He was also required to submit DNA samples and fingerprints.

Ponecappo believes his surviving brother is being unfairly treated by police.

“They’re trying to pump him [with] as much fear as they can into him — just to squeeze him for whatever information they can possibly get from him — which again is wrong. Like, why would you do that to a 15-year-old boy?”

Police remain at scene

Police stayed on the scene late Tuesday night in an attempt to find at least one bullet that was fired from inside the apartment and over the heads of commuters on busy 41st Avenue.

The two bodies remained inside the apartment suite until about 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

Police were on scene again on Wednesday, scouring the empty parking lot next to the apartment complex.

The two killings are the city’s ninth and tenth homicides this year.