Four people, including two police officers, killed in Fredericton shooting

Numerous emergency response personnel responded to the shooting Friday morning and remain at the scene. Photo courtesy CBC.

Fredericton Police say two officers are among four people that died in a shooting incident Friday morning in the north side of the New Brunswick city.

Authorities posted on Twitter a suspect is in custody and is being treated for serious injuries related to the incident. An undisclosed number of people were injured in the shooting.

No names have been released and condolences to the victims and families are coming from all over the country, including Victoria police in a tweet that said, “Our hearts go out to you.”

Shots were heard shortly after 7 a.m. Atlantic time, when local resident David MacCoubrey said he woke up to the sound of three gunshots outside his bedroom window.

MacCoubrey said he heard as many as 17 more gunshots over the next hour and it sounded like they were coming from the middle of his Brookside Drive apartment complex that has four buildings in a square.

After he had spotted a man in the back parking lot and called 911, MacCoubrey heard more gunfire and looked out a window again and saw two police officers on the ground.

MacCoubrey said police had searched the buildings and went through his apartment.

“I saw an armoured vehicle out in the courtyard and I opened up my window to see if I could hear anything and the shots started again,” he said.

“I’m not scared in the least. I’m angry. I don’t like the violence… I’m worried for the other people around me.”

Police in Fredericton said just after 11 a.m. local time there was no further threat to the public and lockdowns were being lifted.

The crime scene is contained and officers expect to be working on the investigating for some time.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter said his “Heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning’s shooting. We’re following the situation closely.”

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Canadians stand with the two officers that were killed and he is deeply concerned about what happened.

The Fredericton shootings come just four years after another traumatic event for police and the public in another New Brunswick city.

In June 2014, RCMP Constables Doug Larche, Fabrice Gevaudan and Dave Ross were killed in a shooting rampage by Justin Bourque. Constables Eric Dubois and Darlene Goguen were also injured when Bourque went hunting police officers in a Moncton neighbourhood.

There were between six and 11 homicides a year in New Brunswick between 2012 and 2016, according to Statistics Canada.

With files from Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press

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