Image copyright Kev Bourque/via Reuters Image caption Emergency vehicles pictured near the scene in Fredericton, New Brunswick
Canadian police say a suspect is in custody after at least four people - two of them police officers - were killed in a shooting in the eastern city of Fredericton, New Brunswick.
The slain officers were identified as Sarah Burns and Robb Costello, but the civilians - a man and a woman - have not been named.
The officers were responding to reports of shots fired when they were killed, officials told media.
Police have not mentioned a motive.
"Protecting us today, they gave their lives," Fredericton mayor Mike O'Brien told the media during a press conference. "We will get through this together but now my thoughts turn to the families of the victims."
Burns, 43, leaves behind a husband and three children, while Costello, 45, is survived by his partner and four children.
Officials told reporters the officers had been responding to reports of shots fired when they found the two civilians on the ground.
The suspect is in custody in hospital and being treated for "severe" injuries sustained during the incident, but he has not been named. The investigation into the shooting has been taken over by the RCMP, Canada's federal police force.
A local TV reporter said he had heard four gunshots just after 07:00 (11:00 GMT).
Nick Moore, a journalist from CTV Atlantic, posted video footage of the scene on Twitter, showing emergency vehicles outside a house.
Skip Twitter post by @NickMooreCTV I just spoke with a woman and her small child who’ve been escorted from their home in the cordoned-off area. The woman says she heard what sounded to be multiple gunshots a little after 7am @CTVAtlantic — Nick Moore (@NickMooreCTV) August 10, 2018 Report
"Awful news coming out of Fredericton," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted. "My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning's shooting. We're following the situation closely."
Fredericton is the capital of New Brunswick province and home to around 56,000 people.
It is rare in Canada for police officers to be killed in the line of duty. Between 1961 and 2009, a total of 133 police were killed, and just five in the province of New Brunswick.
In 2014 24-year-old Justin Bourque shot five RCMP officers in the province, killing three. The shooting spree led to a 28-hour manhunt, and shocked the nation. In the aftermath, the RCMP was charged with labour-code violations alleging police officers had not been adequately armed and protected for the situation.
Gun laws are more stringent in Canada than in the US, but the number of shootings has nonetheless risen in recent years.
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One person is in custody following a shooting in eastern Canada that left at least four people dead.
Two police officers were among those killed early on Friday in Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick.
Residents said they heard as many as 20 gunshots following a confrontation that prompted police to initially cordon off a large section of the city with emergency vehicles and order residents to remain inside their homes and businesses.
The suspect, who is in custody, is being treated for serious injuries, police said on Twitter.
Several victims were being treated at a regional hospital, but there were no immediate details on the nature of their injuries or their conditions.
Police said there is "no further threat to the public" and an investigation is under way.
A press conference with police is scheduled for 3:30pm local time (18:30 GMT).
'To see fatalities is extraordinary in this city'
Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien tweeted his condolences, saying "our city sends its love and support to all".
Our hearts are broken by the murder of our two brave police officers. In this time of shock and grief, let us all protect their families. — Mike O'Brien (@mikeobrien_fton) August 10, 2018
Two civilians also tragically lost their lives today. Our city sends its love and support to all. We grieve as one. #FrederictonStrong — Mike O'Brien (@mikeobrien_fton) August 10, 2018
In Fredericton, a city of about 60,000 residents, people said they were stunned by the scene, which occurred as people were heading to work or dropping children at a daycare centre not far from the apartment complex where the attack took place.
"This is the first time I've even heard of any serious crime or violent crime in this city," said Travis Hrubeniuk, whose fiancee had just left their home when the sirens began.
Bill Henwood, whose funeral business is located inside the cordoned off area on Brookside Drive, said people sat in their cars or were just standing near the blockade of police and fire vehicles "hanging tight and waiting for word".
"It's not something that we expect in Fredericton to wake up and hear about," Henwood told The Associated Press. "To see that there's actually fatalities is pretty extraordinary for this area."
Violence in Canada
The attack comes as other parts of Canada wrestle with a string of violence, including an instance in Toronto last month where a man with a handgun opened fire in a crowded part of the city, killing two people and wounding 13 before he either shot himself or was killed by police.
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In April, a man who linked himself to a misogynistic online community used a van to run down pedestrians in a busy part of Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring 14.
Authorities are still pursuing leads in an ongoing investigation of a serial killer who has been charged with killing eight men in the city in recent years.
TORONTO -- A shooting in a small Canadian city early Friday left four people dead, including two police officers, under circumstances that were not yet explained but struck a nerve in a country that has been roiled in recent months by several instances of mass violence. People in Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick in the eastern part of the country, said they heard as many as 20 gunshots following a confrontation that prompted police to initially cordon off a large section of the city with emergency vehicles and order residents to remain inside their homes and businesses.
Finally, after a tense period of waiting, authorities disclosed the toll: Among the four killed were two officers, a rare case of police killed in the line of duty in Canada. Their names were not released.
Of the four people killed in this morning's shootings on Brookside Drive, two were Fredericton Police officers. No names are being released at this time. Please appreciate this is a difficult time for their families and our colleagues. We will provide more info when we can. — Fredericton Police (@CityFredPolice) August 10, 2018
Authorities said one suspect was in custody and was being treated for serious injuries. The person's identity was not announced and no motive was disclosed. A news conference was planned for later Friday.
We can confirm that the suspect in custody is currently being treated for serious injuries related to this morning’s shooting incident. — Fredericton Police (@CityFredPolice) August 10, 2018
Several other victims were being treated at a regional hospital, but there were no immediate details on the nature of their injuries or their conditions.
"Our hearts are broken by the murder of our two brave police officers," Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien said in a tweet.
The entire province of New Brunswick had 11 homicides in 2016.
In Fredericton, a city of about 60,000 residents, people said they were stunned by the scene, which occurred as people were heading to work or dropping children at a day care center not far from the apartment complex where the shooting took place. "This is the first time I've even heard of any serious crime or violent crime in this city," said Travis Hrubeniuk, whose fiancee had just left their home when the sirens began.
Rachel LeBlanc, who sheltered at a daycare center in the lockdown area on Brookside Drive, told CBC she heard gunshots shortly after arriving there for work on Friday. She said she heard a "crack, crack, crack, four in a row" in rapid succession. LeBlanc told CBC that the 23 kids in her care were unaware of the security incident, but that she was nervous as the person in charge of their care.
Bill Henwood, a funeral director at York Funeral Home, whose business is located inside the cordoned off area on Brookside Drive, said people sat in their cars or were just standing near the blockade of police and fire vehicles "hanging tight and waiting for word" for news.
"It's not something that we expect in Fredericton to wake up and hear about," Henwood said. "To see that there's actually fatalities is pretty extraordinary for this area."
The shooting comes as Canada wrestles with a string of violence, including an instance in Toronto last month where a man with a handgun opened fire in a crowded part of the city, killing two people and wounding 13 before he either shot himself or was killed by police.
In April, a man who linked himself to a misogynistic online community used a van to run down pedestrians in a busy part of Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring 14.
Authorities are still pursuing leads in an ongoing investigation of a serial killer who has been charged with killing eight men in the city in recent years.
In 2014, a shooting in Moncton, New Brunswick left three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers dead and two wounded.There was no immediate information on any suspected motive in the shooting, and no information provided on the identities of the suspect in custody or the victims.
David MacCoubrey, who lives in Fredericton, said he heard about 20 shots fired. He was hiding on his kitchen floor. He awoke in his apartment on Brookside Drive around 7 a.m. local time to the sound of three gunshots about 30 feet from his bed.
MacCoubrey said his apartment complex has four buildings in a square, and it sounded like the shots were coming from the middle of the complex. He said police searched the complex, including his own apartment.
Suspect in custody, officials say, after mass shooting rocked small city of 58,000 people
Four people, including two police officers, have been killed in a shooting in the eastern Canadian city of Fredericton.
The officers were named as Sarah May Burns, 43, and Lawrence Robb Costello, 45; the other two victims were not named.
While the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear, police said on Friday morning that they had taken a 48-year old man into custody and that the investigation was ongoing.
The suspect was being treated for serious injuries stemming from the incident, police said on Twitter.
The shooting has rocked the city of 58,000 people, who were initially told by police on Friday morning to avoid the area and stay in their homes.
Police also asked social media users to refrain from giving details online of the the position or activities of police or first responders.
A resident, David MacCoubrey, told the Canadian Press he was woken at 7am by three gunshots, which sounded as if they were fired 10 metres from his bed. Over the next 90 minutes or so, he heard more than 15 other gunshots.
The gunfire appeared to be coming from the middle of his apartment complex, which consisted of four buildings in the shape of a square, he said.
Play Video 0:52 Witness to Canada shooting recounts moment he heard guns – video
“Awful news coming out of Fredericton,” the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said on Twitter. “My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning’s shooting. We’re following the situation closely.”
While gun laws in Canada are far more strict than in neighbouring United States, a proliferation of weapons has led to an increase in gun crimes in recent years.
In 2014, three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were killed and two others wounded in a mass shooting in the east coast city of Moncton, New Brunswick.
Last month, a gunman opened fire on a busy Toronto street, killing two people and wounding 13 others before turning his weapon on himself.
In the wake of the shooting, federal officials said they were considering a ban on handguns.
Toronto, Canada’s largest city, has had 241 shooting incidents so far this year, resulting in 30 deaths, a 30% increase in fatalities over the same period last year.
