Posted on 08/10/2018 4:28:16 PM PDT by Candor7
2 civilian victims not named; 48-year-old suspect being treated in hospital for injuries sustained in shooting
Two police officers who were among four people killed in a shooting in Fredericton Friday morning have been identified as Lawrence Robert Costello, 45, and Sara Mae Helen Burns, 43.
Costello was a 20-year police veteran, is survived by his partner and four children. Burns joined the Fredericton Police Force in 2016 but had served as an auxiliary officer for two years. She leaves behind her husband and three children.
The 48-year-old suspect, who has not yet been identified, is in hospital and is being treated for serious injuries.
The hospital said it was treating "multiple shooting victims," but police provided no details about them.
Fitch, Mayor Mike O'Brien and New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant all spoke at the news conference but shed little light on what happened.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our officers today," O'Brien said. "Our love and support goes out to everybody. In this community, we grieve together but we'll heal together as well."
Police said they responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment complex on the 200 block of Brookside Drive in the city's north end at 7:10 a.m. AT.
"Officers engaged with the suspect and shots were fired by police," said Deputy Chief Martin Gaudet. Fredericton police and RCMP officers survey the area where the shooting took place. (Keith Minchin/Canadian Press)
A perimeter was set up and the neighbourhood sealed off, while residents were told to stay inside.
Gaudet said the police officers who died were the first on the scene. They saw a man and woman lying on the ground — the two civilians who were killed — and were shot as they approached.
At 9:30 a.m., police entered an apartment and arrested the suspect. A window on the top floor of the building showed holes left by tear gas canisters.
Police declared the threat to the neighbourhood over at about 11 a.m.
"Obviously this is incredibly difficult for our officers and for our community," Gaudet said. "No one ever wants to lose a colleague or friend, especially in this kind of situation."
Gaudet said he couldn't provide any information about how many other people were wounded in the shooting or their conditions, as the investigation is ongoing.
"The finer details of the call will be determined in the investigation," he said.
Ross White, the chief superintendent of the New Brunswick RCMP, said the major crimes division assisted local police in the investigation today. The Mounties will take over the homicide investigation.
RCMP issued a release Friday evening asking the public for photos and videos of the shooting to assist the investigation. A link was provided for files to be uploaded anonymously.
A witness describes harrowing moments of watching shots fired at his building: 'It was horrible' 00:00 02:09 A north Fredericton resident describes his terror at seeing shots fired toward his building, passing close to his son's bedroom. 2:09
At least a dozen people displaced from the apartment complex where the shooting occurred will need Red Cross assistance.
The residents of the buildings were told they can't go back to their apartments until the investigation is completed.
On Friday evening, at least 20 people were gathered at Willie O'Ree Place, an arena, waiting to find out where they will spend the night. Joseph Cartwright, his partner and young child were among them.
"The Red Cross took people up here so we were like, 'OK, they wouldn't let us get our cats, they wouldn't let us get our cars, our clothes, nothing.' They said something about putting us up. They're not sure yet where," he said.
A Red Cross volunteer said the organization will find hotel accommodations for people who can't stay with family or friends.
Early in the morning, eyewitnesses said they heard dozens of shots and soon saw police around the area where there is a cluster of apartment buildings.
The neighbourhood was locked down and people were told to stay inside their homes. Police also told residents to avoid the Brookside Drive area, a major stretch of road that leads to the popular Brookside Mall.
Parisa Motallebikia, who lived near the apartment where the shots were fired, said a man shouted at her and her husband when they were inside their apartment.
"Our windows broke and the bullets passed from the wall and go to my son's bed. In front of my son's bed. Flowers and messages have been dropped off outside the police station in downtown Fredericton. (Julia Wright/CBC)
"And then we came out of [the] building and again we heard the shot."
Shortly before 9 a.m., an apartment building at 237 Brookside Dr. was evacuated.
About two hours later, when police confirmed there was no further threat to the public, the lockdown was lifted. Dozens of residents lined up outside the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton to show their support. (Joe McDonald/CBC)
At the time, police would only say they were investigating an "ongoing incident."
Agreed. I recall a great deal of protest in New Brunswick against the Allan Rock long gun registry of 1995. It was to the point that then premier Frank McKenna wrote personally to Rock to slow down with his talk about the registry as there were that good number of voters angry over it.
Two years later in May 1997, the federal Liberals took significant losses in the Maritimes through defeats by the old federal Progressive Conservatives in some rural areas (and nationally came to within about five seats of losing their majority).
Very sad, and very unusual for Canukistan.
It will be interesting to read later the further details of what happened. And I wonder if it will be not dissimilar to an event in Quebec a number of years back in which a man whose violent behaviour at home put his spouse in a battered women’s shelter and earned him a firearms prohibition order. He still was able to get his hands on a gun and march into the shelter and shoot and kill the ex spouse in front of the horrified (and helpless) shelter worker. I recall reading a comment on the story “he didn’t give damn about any laws” when he committed that act.
Very unlikely that this is a foreigner situation. New Brunswick and small towns everywhere are not immune form domestic violence, and it usually involves a white male as perpetrator - not surprising given that Fredericton is 95% Caucasian. Often it is a murder-suicide. What I’m hearing is the gunman took out his ex and her new boyfriend. Why he decided to take down the police officers is inexplicable. Perhaps he was hoping for suicide by cop, but he could have accomplished that just by shooting in their general direction.
So was he unmarried with kids or playing for the other team with kids? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I have no idea, I did not know Costello personally. These days in Canada the press uses politically correct speech, husband wife,spouse, common law wife or husband, all are included under the term partner these days.
This perp in Fredericton had no regard for the law. He had a rifle, and by the sound of it, a fair supply of ammo. By the sound of things he fired over a dozen rounds altogether, or maybe more.
Already people here are saying too bad he lived. word is that the officers were left on the ground for about an hour while the ERT was mobilized and showed up with two armored vehicles.
South of the 49th all he would have needed to do to enable SBC would be to brandish a weapon in their general direction.
Sucks big time. As a result of what happened in Moncton the RCMP in NB now carry rifles in their cruiser trunks.
But the Fredericton City police still only have their side arms, as anti gun sentiment is high among the political elites in Fredericton. Today the Fredericton City Police were outgunned by a criminal rifleman, just like happened in Moncton.
This sucks big time. Costello and Burns didn’t have a chance. They apparently ran over to check the man and woman shot on the ground, not realizing they were in the field of fire of a rifle, and the perp. dropped them from long range.
Canada has not learned the lessons of Columbine.
Canada has not learned the lessons of Columbine.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Absolutely Correct my FRiend!
Happy isn’t a term I’d use here. I was just curious why the difference in description between the two officers’ survivors. I know the Brits use partner for spouse, and that could carry over to Canadian colloquialisms, but that didn’t make sense here, since they’d already used husband for the female officer.
And they took the perp to hospital...should have put another bullet in him.
Two good people gone, children bereft of parent, two families broken.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.