Two policemen among four killed in Canada shooting

My heart goes out to everyone affected by this morning's shooting, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

TORONTO: Four people, including two police officers, were killed in a shooting in the eastern Canadian city of Fredericton and one person was taken into custody, police said on Friday.

Police in Fredericton, a city of about 56,000 that is the capital of the province of New Brunswick, said in a post on Twitter.

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

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

Local media images showed emergency vehicles converged on a tree-lined residential street. Gun laws in Canada are more strict than in the United States but a proliferation of weapons has led to an increase in gun crimes in recent years.

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

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

Three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were killed and two more were wounded in 2014 in Moncton, New Brunswick, about 195 km (121 miles) from Fredericton, in one of the worst incidents of its kind in Canada.



Last month, a gunman walked down a busy Toronto street, killing two people and wounding 13 others before turning his weapon on himself. Toronto, Canada's largest city, has had 241 shooting incidents this year, resulting in 30 deaths, a 30 percent increase in fatalities.

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.