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.

"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.</s>A man has been charged with murder after four people including two police officers were killed in a shooting in eastern Canada.

Officers Lawrence Robb Costello, 45, and Sara Mae Burns, 43, were among those who died in the incident in New Brunswick yesterday.

Now, Matthew Vincent Raymond, 48, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the Fredericton shooting.

Cops had earlier said a suspect was being treated for serious injuries.

Shocked witnesses said the shooting occurred at an apartment complex in the city, which is home to around 58,000 people.

Nearby facilities were closed, while cops imposed a lockdown for residents, telling them to stay at home and lock their doors.

"It was scary," said Marlene Weaver, who was in bed yesterday morning when she heard shots. "It takes you back to the shooting in Moncton."

She was referring to a 2014 incident in which three Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers were killed and two others wounded in Moncton, New Brunswick, about 121 miles from Fredericton.

That was one of the worst incidents of its kind in Canada.

The latest shooting occurred three weeks after a gunman walked down a busy Toronto street, killing two and wounding 13 before killing himself.

A local described a series of "firecracker" sounds at about 7am local time.

"It was sort of like a pop, pop, pop, pop," Robert DiDiodato told CBC News.

The resident, who lives on Oakland Avenue, which connects to Brookside Drive, added that he heard similar noises near his home soon after.

"Doors are locked and everybody's inside," he said.

Fredericton Police later escorted residents out of their homes.

During the incident, the force asked the public not to post information about the position or activities of officers or first responders online.

And in a later statement, it confirmed four people were tragically killed in the shooting - including the two Fredericton Police officers.

"Of the four people killed in this morning's shootings on Brookside Drive, two were Fredericton Police officers," the force tweeted.

It added: "Please appreciate this is a difficult time for their families and our colleagues.

Officer Burns had two years on the force and had spent two years as an auxiliary officer, Chief Leanne Fitch told reporters.

She had three children, she added.

Meanwhile, Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said that the RCMP were assisting Fredericton authorities in the investigation.

"We'll see where this investigation leads in terms of what exactly happened, who did it, what was the motivation for doing it and the instruments of destruction that were used," he earlier told reporters.

"But broadly speaking, the government of Canada is obviously taking the issue of gun violence very seriously."

Gun laws in Canada are stricter than in the US, but a proliferation of weapons has led to an increase in gun-related crimes in recent years.

New Brunswick had three homicide shootings in the entire year of 2016, according to Statistics Canada.

"Awful news coming out of Fredericton," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on Twitter yesterday.

"My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning's shooting. We're following the situation closely."

He later shared a full statement, saying Canadians would not forget Officers Costello and Burns, whose "sacrifice no doubt saved lives".

“The people of Fredericton are courageous, strong, and resilient. Canadians stand with you during this difficult time," Mr Trudeau said.

Fredericton police said their officers responded to a report of shots fired early yesterday and found two victims on the ground.

At the time, cops said: "The public is asked to avoid the area and stay in their homes with doors locked at this time for their safety."

CTV News reporter Nick Moore said he and other journalists heard what sounded like four gunshots as police dealt with the incident.

Additional officers and an armoured police vehicle soon arrived at the scene. Police later announced they had arrested a suspect.

They tweeted: "At this time we can confirm that we have one suspect in custody. Police continue to have the Brookside area contained for the foreseeable future as the investigation is ongoing."

Speaking by phone, Jeff Magnussen, general manager of a golf course near the site of the shooting, described hearing multiple gunshots.

"To have it happen so close to us is shocking," he said.

Meanwhile, Scott Hill told of how he was walking his dog by a golf course when an employee told him to get inside because of a shooter.

He said he could still hear sporadic gunfire coming from the apartment complex two hours later, adding: "This sort of thing never happens here."

In the wake of the Toronto bloodshed last month, the city council voted overwhelmingly to urge the federal government, which has jurisdiction over gun laws, to ban the sale of handguns in the city.

He said: “Canadians across the country were shocked to wake up to news of the shooting in Fredericton that left four people dead, including two police officers. "We mourn with everyone who has lost a friend, colleague, or family member, and wish those injured a speedy and full recovery. “There is no greater gesture than to put oneself in harm’s way to protect the life of another. This morning, first responders rushed to the scene of danger. They did not think twice about what they had to do to keep their fellow Canadians safe. "They were unflinching in their duty. We will not forget the two fallen police officers whose sacrifice no doubt saved lives and prevented even greater tragedy." He added: “The RCMP is giving its full support to the Fredericton Police, who are investigating the shooting. I have spoken with the Fredericton Chief of Police Leanne Fitch, Mayor Mike O’Brien, and the Premier of New Brunswick Brian Gallant and offered my condolences on behalf of the Government of Canada. "We are monitoring the situation closely, and stand ready to assist in any way we can. “The people of Fredericton are courageous, strong, and resilient. "Canadians stand with you during this difficult time.”

"Why does anyone in this city need to have a gun at all?" Toronto Mayor John Tory said.

Canada's largest city has had 241 shooting incidents this year, resulting in 30 deaths, a 30% increase in fatalities over the same period last year.

Bill Blair, the government minister tasked with tackling gun violence, said officials are considering giving provinces the power to designate gun-free cities.

"It's possible that we could work with the provinces and territories and allow them the authority to designate certain municipalities as places where guns could not be purchased or possessed," he told Reuters.</s>TORONTO — A shooting in a small Canadian city Friday that left four people dead, including two police officers who were responding to call of shots fired, 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.

Fredericton’s deputy police chief Martin Gaudet said the two officers arrived at the apartment complex and saw two deceased civilians before being shot and killed themselves.

Gaudet says a 48-year old man with serious injuries was arrested. They didn’t identify him. No motive has been disclosed for the shooting.

Fredericton Police Chief Leanne Fitch identified the officers killed as Sara Burns, 43, who was married with three children, and 45-year-old Robb Costello who had a common law partner and four children. The two civilians killed, a man and a woman, were not identified.

Costello was a 20-year veteran of the force. Burns had been on the force for two years.

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.

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.</s>Two police officers were among four people killed in a shooting in Fredericton, New Brunswick, police in the Canadian provincial capital said Friday.

“No names are being released at this time. Please appreciate this is a difficult time for their families and our colleagues,” Fredericton police said on Twitter.

A suspect is in custody, and the crime scene has been “contained,” police said. They said the investigation is ongoing and the suspect is being treated for serious injuries.

Police later said there was “no further threat to the public” and no need for any lockdowns.

A spokeswoman for Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital said it is treating multiple victims in the Fredericton shooting.

The shooting occurred in the Brookside Drive area of the city of about 60,000 people, police said. It took place around 7 a.m. local time.

“This is a developing situation and it is premature to determine whether there are any national security implications. The RCMP is providing support to the local Fredericton police force,” said Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, using the acronym for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

CNN network partner CTV said its reporter there said “police appeared to be focused on one particular residence” and that he heard four shots during a five-minute stretch.

“There is a police officer standing outside with a gun,” CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore said on CTV’s “Your Morning.”

CTV said Moore reported that “police escorted people from their homes” after announcing a suspect was in custody.

New Brunswick is one of Canada’s eastern Maritime provinces. Its premier, Brian Gallant, said in a statement that “we are all shocked and saddened to learn this morning of the ongoing tragic incident.”

“I offer my condolences, thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. During this difficult time, our thoughts are also with the courageous women and men on the front lines working to keep us safe,” he said.

“At this time, I would ask New Brunswickers, particularly those in areas identified by police, to keep informed about the situation as it develops and follow the instructions of law enforcement officials working in the area.”

“Awful news coming out of Fredericton. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning’s shooting.”</s>TORONTO (Reuters) - At least four people were killed in a shooting incident in the eastern Canadian city of Fredericton, police said on Friday.

The Fredericton police said in a post on Twitter the incident was ongoing and there were multiple fatalities. The police urged people to stay inside and lock doors.

In 2014, another mass shooting in New Brunswick led to the deaths of three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and the wounding of two more in Moncton. At the time, the incident was one of the worst of its kind in Canada, where gun laws are stricter than they are in the United States and deadly attacks on police are rare. But a proliferation of weapons has led to an increase in gun crimes in recent years.

Last month, a gunman walked down a busy Toronto street, killing two people and wounding 13 before turning his gun on himself.

On Thursday, Ontario pledged more money for police and to keep suspects behind bars while they await trial on gun crimes charges, as the Canadian province grapples with rising shootings involving domestically obtained weapons.</s>NEW BRUNSWICK, Can. — At least four people have been killed in a shooting in Canada, police said Friday in a tweet.

The shooting took place in Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick.

CNN network partner CTV, citing police, reported that “the incident is ‘ongoing’.” It occurred in the Brookside Drive area of the city, police said.

“The public is asked to avoid the area and stay in their homes with doors locked at this time for their safety,” Fredericton police said.

New Brunswick, in eastern Canada, is one of the nation’s Maritime provinces.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.</s>FREDERICTON, New Brunswick (AP) — The Latest on the shooting in the eastern Canadian province of New Brunswick (all times local):

Police have identified the two officers who were killed in the small Canadian city of Fredericton after responding to a shooting at an apartment complex.

Fredericton's deputy police chief Martin Gaudet says the officers saw two deceased civilians before being shot and killed themselves.

Fredericton police chief Leanne Fitch said the two officers were Sara Burns, 43 and Robb Costello, 45. Burns was married and had three children, and Costello had a partner and four children.

The other man and woman who were killed were not identified.

Gaudet says a 48-year old man was arrested.

Family members have identified one of two police officers killed in the small Canadian city of Fredericton on Friday.

Jackie McLean says a police inspector told her family that her common-law partner Robb Costello was among the four people who died in a shooting at an apartment complex. McLean says the couple had been together for four years, and Costello has two adult daughters from a previous relationship.

Fredericton police have one person in custody and say there is no further threat to the public.

Police also said the suspect was being treated for serious injuries.

Police in Canada say there is no further threat to the public after four people were killed in a shooting in the eastern province of New Brunswick. A lockdown is over, but no motive for the incident was given.

Local health authorities said the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital is treating multiple people.

Earlier on Friday, Fredericton police said that two of those killed were police officers.

No additional details were immediately released, and police said they are not releasing the names of the slain officers yet.

A resident at the apartment complex in Canada where four people were killed in a shooting on Friday says that he saw the incident unfold.

Justin Mclean said there had been fights at the complex, but never like this.

"I just woke up and heard gunshots and I looked outside my window. There was basically three dead people laying there. It wasn't a pretty sight," Mclean told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

"The cops were trying to put one of the officers into the vehicle so they could take him out to safety."

Canadian police said Friday that two of the four killed in the incident in the eastern city of Fredericton, New Brunswick are police officers.</s>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.

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.

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.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Two police officers were among four people killed in a shooting in Fredericton, New Brunswick, police in the Canadian provincial capital said Friday.

“No names are being released at this time. Please appreciate this is a difficult time for their families and our colleagues,” Fredericton police said on Twitter.

A suspect is in custody, and the crime scene has been “contained,” police said. They said the investigation is ongoing and the suspect is being treated for serious injuries.

Police later said there was “no further threat to the public” and no need for any lockdowns.

“Our thoughts and prayers are now with the families, friends and colleagues of the two brave Police officers who gave their lives in order to protect and serve and with the families of the other two victims of this senseless act of violence,” said a tweet from the city of Fredericton on behalf of Mayor Mike O’Brien, the City Council and other municipal employees.

“The next few days will be a challenging time for our community as we deal with a loss that will no doubt be felt by many.”

A spokeswoman for Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital said it is treating multiple victims in the Fredericton shooting.

The shooting occurred in the Brookside Drive area of the city of about 60,000 people, police said. It took place around 7 a.m. local time.

“We extend our sincerest condolences to Chief Leanne Fitch, the officers of the Fredericton Police Force, and everyone affected by today’s events,” the city said in its tweet.

“Not enough can be said about the courageous efforts shown today and everyday by members of the Fredericton Police Force, the first responders involved, and all those who respond to the call for help.”

CNN network partner CTV said its reporter there said “police appeared to be focused on one particular residence” and that he heard four shots during a five-minute stretch.

“There is a police officer standing outside with a gun,” CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore said on CTV’s “Your Morning.”

CTV said Moore reported that “police escorted people from their homes” after announcing a suspect was in custody.

New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant said in a statement that “we are all shocked and saddened to learn this morning of the ongoing tragic incident.”

“I offer my condolences, thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. During this difficult time, our thoughts are also with the courageous women and men on the front lines working to keep us safe,” he said.

“At this time, I would ask New Brunswickers, particularly those in areas identified by police, to keep informed about the situation as it develops and follow the instructions of law enforcement officials working in the area.”

“Awful news coming out of Fredericton. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning’s shooting.”

Ralph Goodale, Canada’s minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, expressed his concern over the shooting.

“With RCMP support, this developing situation is under investigation by Fredericton Police. Residents are encouraged to follow their direction,” he said on Twitter, referring to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

New Brunswick is one of Canada’s eastern Maritime provinces.

Four years ago, three officers died and two others were wounded in a shooting in the New Brunswick city of Moncton.

Growing gun violence in recent years has been an issue in Toronto, Canada’s most populous city.

A shooting rampage last month in that city left two people dead.

Days afterward the Toronto City Council voted to push the Canadian government to ban the sale of handguns and also for the provincial government to ban handgun ammunition sales within the city.</s>Two of the four people killed in a shooting in the Canadian city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, are police officers. Fredericton police said one suspect is in custody, and they are not releasing the names of the killed officers yet. The shooting happened in an apartment complex.

David MacCoubrey, who lives in Fredericton, said he heard about 20 shots and hid on his kitchen floor “I’m on my floor,” he said in a phone interview. “The cops have come through my place. They have searched all the apartments in the building. It sounded like it started in the courtyard area.” He awoke in his apartment on Brookside Drive at around 7am local time to the sound of three gunshots 10 meters from his bed. Mr 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 have been searching the buildings, and he has been sitting away from windows. “It’s not something that happens here regularly,” he said.

Travis Hrubeniuk, who lives nearby, said his fiancee had just left for work at around 745am when he began hearing a steady stream of sirens. Mr Hrubeniuk said residents have been advised to stay inside with their doors locked. The quiet residential neighbourhood, which has houses, grocery stores, a church and an elementary school, is the last place Mr Hrubeniuk said he expected to encounter a dangerous situation. “This is the first time I’ve even heard of any serious crime or violent crime in this city,” he said. In 2014, a shooting in Moncton, New Brunswick, left three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers dead and two wounded. Fredericton has a population of about 58,000 and is located just north-east of Maine.

New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant tweeted his condolences to the victims and their families. He said: “During this difficult time, our thoughts are also with the courageous women and men on the front lines working to keep us safe.” Bill Henwood, a funeral director at York Funeral Home, whose business is located inside the cordoned off area on Brookside Drive, said the lockdown occurred before anybody got to work. Mr Henwood said people are sitting in their cars or just standing near the blockade of police and fire vehicles “hanging tight and waiting for word” on what comes next. “All the businesses even on the outside of the lockdown area have their lobbies and their business areas closed. They aren’t letting customers in at the moment,” he said. Mr Henwood said the situation is a shock. “It’s not something that we expect in Fredericton to wake up and hear about. To see that there’s actually fatalities is pretty extraordinary for this area. It doesn’t normally happen.”
At least four people, including two police officers, are killed in a mass shooting in Fredericton, Canada.