Fredericton police say two officers were among four people who died in a shooting Friday morning in a residential area on the city's north side.
One person was in custody, and there was no further threat to the public, police said.
A Fredericton hospital, Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional, "is currently treating multiple victims of today’s shooting," the local health authority said shortly before noon.
Police said the suspect was also being treated for serious injuries.
Officers went to a residential complex at about 7 a.m. Friday.
A witness to the Fredericton shooting named Justin describes seeing police trying to help fallen officer.
— CBC News (@CBCNews) August 10, 2018
"I went out and I tried to help them." pic.twitter.com/05dZpNlduG
David MacCoubrey said he awoke in his apartment on Brookside Drive at 7:07 a.m. to the sound of gunshots "10 metres from my bed."
MacCoubrey said three gunshots woke him up, and as many as 17 more were fired between that time and around 8:30 a.m.
"It sounded like the first one came from right outside my bedroom window... I was hoping for the two seconds that I was groggy that it was kids blowing off firecrackers," said MacCoubrey in a phone interview from inside his apartment, where he was sitting on the floor away from windows.
"Then two more happened within the first three minutes."
He said his apartment complex has four buildings in a square, and it sounded like the shots were coming from the middle of the complex.
Tim Morehouse, another resident of the complex, said he heard someone shout: "Shut up! Shut up!"
He said he heard two gunshots, and then three more. He said he looked out his window and saw the body of a man on the ground, in the back parking lot of 237 Brookside Drive.
"I hear more shots and looked out and there's two police officers on the ground. I called 911 and they came and checked on them and they were shot," he said.
Police said the area would be blocked off for the foreseeable future as "the investigation is ongoing."
A large group of Fredericton police officers were gathered early Friday afternoon outside the Chalmers hospital, and appeared to be consoling each other. They watched as the hospital's New Brunswick and Canadian flags were lowered to half-mast.
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
We can confirm that there is no further threat to the public, and lockdowns are not required at this time.
— Fredericton Police (@CityFredPolice) August 10, 2018
Police still have the crime scene contained, and will be working the investigation for some time. Thank you for your patience.
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
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
UDPATE: At this time we can confirm that we have one suspect in custody.
— Fredericton Police (@CityFredPolice) August 10, 2018
Police continue to have the Brookside area contained for the foreseeable future as the investigation is ongoing.
Please continue to avoid the area and follow us for the facts.
We are asking people to avoid the area of Brookside Drive this morning due to an ongoing incident. We will provide more details as soon as we can.
— Fredericton Police (@CityFredPolice) August 10, 2018
Police Chief Leanne Fitch and Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien were scheduled to hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m. AT Friday.
"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," O'Brien said in a tweet Friday morning.
Police said the names of the shooting victims were not yet being released.
"Please appreciate this is a difficult time for their families and our colleagues," the force tweeted, adding that more information would be released when they're able.
Many flags were already at half-mast by noon around Fredericton, and New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant tweeted his condolences 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," said Gallant.
Louise Kennedy, 75, who lives with her dog at 237 Brookside Drive, said the shooting began in the building next door at about 7 a.m.
"I am just shaking… I am scared to death," she said.
Fredericton shooting: 4 dead, including 2 police, suspect in custody https://t.co/MtTKenytT8 https://t.co/t2vDQRxEYy
— CBC News (@CBCNews) August 10, 2018
"The police were here earlier and wanted me to leave, but I said I couldn’t leave my dog behind … The police officer told me to stay away from the windows and to lock the doors."
Sarah Williams, who lives close to where the shootings occurred, said she awoke to loud sounds. She said she heard between 10 and 20 shots.
"I was woken up by what I thought was fireworks. There was three to five minutes between the first shots I was hearing and that's kind of when I knew it wasn't fireworks," she said.
Earlier Friday morning, police had asked people in the area to stay inside with their doors locked, and not to post information on social media about the position or activities of police.
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."
Three blocks of Brookside Drive had been blocked off, with emergency vehicles at both ends and curious neighbours gathered.
Travis Hrubeniuk, 27, said his fiancee had just left for work around 7:45 a.m. when he began hearing a steady stream of sirens.
The quiet residential neighbourhood, dominated by houses, grocery stores, a church and an elementary school, is the last place 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. "It's a little off-putting that way, and I've been here for about a year."
Bill Henwood, a funeral director at York Funeral Home, spoke to The Canadian Press from behind one of the police road blocks. The business is located inside the cordoned off area on Brookside Drive.
"The lockdown occurred before we were able to get in to work this morning so nobody's actually in the building," he said.
Henwood said people were 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."
Henwood said the situation is a shock.
"It's not something that we expect in Fredericton to wake up and hear about," he said. "To see that there's actually fatalities is pretty extraordinary for this area. It doesn't normally happen."
Jessica Simmonds, who works at The Preschool Centre daycare, said 48 children from one location near the shootings were taken to another location.
The daycare located on Main Street is less than a three-minute drive from the area where the shooting took place.
She said the children were watching a movie, while others were playing with toys.
"We are not in the area, but we are only keeping our doors locked as a precaution," she said.
She said the parents were welcome to come and get their children if they wished to, and many had already done so.
SHOOTING IN N.B. TRIGGERS OUTPOURING OF CONDOLENCE FROM POLITICAL LEADERS
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led a cascade of condolences from Canada's political quarters Friday as word emerged of a deadly shooting in Fredericton that killed four people, including two municipal police officers.
"My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning’s shooting," Trudeau tweeted as many Canadians woke up to news of fatal gunshots echoing across a suburban neighbourhood in the maritime city's early hours. New Brunswick health officials said multiple people were being treated for injuries in hospital.
Trudeau, who was scheduled to be in Toronto later in the day at an event to honour the two victims of a shooting in that city last month, said the federal government is following the Fredericton situation closely.
Awful news coming out of Fredericton. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning’s shooting. We’re following the situation closely.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 10, 2018
Police cordoned off a neighbourhood in the city early in the day after multiple shots were fired, and now say one person in custody is being treated for serious injuries. They also say there is no longer any threat to the public. An official update on the situation was scheduled for later Friday.
All Canadians stand with the two officers who were killed, said Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who also expressed deep concern about what had happened. Fredericton police are handling the incident with assistance from the RCMP, he added.
New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant urged those in the neighbourhood that is involved to continue to follow the direction of police.
"On behalf of all New Brunswickers, I offer my condolences, thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families," Gallant tweeted. "During this difficult time, our thoughts are also with the courageous women and men on the front lines working to keep us safe."
Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief who just last month was tapped to serve as Trudeau's minister of border security and organized crime reduction, offered comfort directly to Fredericton's police chief.
"I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to all the victims," he tweeted, "including Chief Leanne Fitch on the tragic death of two of her officers in the service of their community."
Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer offered prayers for the families of the officers and everyone impacted, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh expressed solidarity with first responders. Alberta United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney also joined the online chorus, citing the perils faced daily by law enforcement officials.
"We are all shocked and saddened to learn this morning of the ongoing tragic incident in Fredericton," Kenney said, calling it a "reminder of the risks our brave men and women in uniform are willing to take every day to keep us safe."
Very sad day in Canadian policing - our thoughts at #VPD are with the family, friends & colleagues of the #FrederictonPolice officers killed in the line of duty this morning @CityFredPolice Chief @FitchLeanne @CityFredGov @VancouverPD https://t.co/OKPSbSCCgK
— Adam Palmer (@ChiefPalmer) August 10, 2018
Gun violence has been a hot topic among politicians and the Canadian public this summer, particularly after several high-profile shootings in the city of Toronto.
A TIMELINE OF THE DEADLY SHOOTING IN FREDERICTON
A timeline of events in Friday's deadly shooting in Fredericton. All times in Atlantic time:
7:07 a.m. Local resident David MacCoubrey is awakened by the sound of three gunshots just outside his bedroom window, followed by 17 more gunshots over the next hour.
7:45 a.m. Nearby resident Travis Hrubeniuk hears a steady stream of police sirens along Brookside Drive.
7:47 a.m. Fredericton police send a tweet cautioning people to avoid the area around Brookside Drive due to an "ongoing incident."
7:53 a.m. Police advise people living in the area to stay in their homes with doors locked.
8:17 a.m. Police tweet that there has been a shooting that caused "multiple fatalities."
8:31 a.m. Police confirm that four people have been killed in the incident.
9:45 a.m. Police say they have one suspect in custody but continue to keep the area contained while the investigation continues.
9:49 a.m. New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant issues condolences to the victims and their families and urges residents to follow police instructions.
10:12 a.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sends a tweet saying his "heart goes out" to everyone affected by the shooting.
10:28 a.m. City police confirm that two of their officers are among those killed.
11:05 a.m. Police lift the lockdown on the area and say there is no further threat to the public.
11:22 a.m. Police tweet that the suspect is being treated for serious injuries related to the shooting.
