City Locked Down After 3 Mounties Shot Dead

New Brunswick gunman still on the loose
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 4, 2014 11:38 PM CDT
Updated Jun 5, 2014 2:22 AM CDT
Gunman Loose After 3 Mounties Shot Dead
Police officers take cover behind their vehicles in Moncton, New Brunswick.   (AP Photo/Moncton Times & Transcript, Ron Ward via The Canadian Press)

Police in New Brunswick are hunting a gunman who killed three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and injured two others. Suspected shooter Justin Bourque, 24, is believed to be on the loose in the city of Moncton and residents have been told to stay in their homes and lock their doors, reports the CBC. "The police and other emergency personnel are working under extremely difficult conditions and need our complete cooperation," the city's mayor says. "Stay home, stay safe. If you cannot get home, seek out a friend or family and remain there until you are advised otherwise."

Witnesses say they saw Bourque wearing military camouflage and shooting at police with a high-powered rifle, reports the AP, which notes that this level of violence is very rare in Canada, especially on the East Coast. Hours after the first calls to 911 were made, heavily armed officers were still searching for Bourque in a heavily wooded park area. "This whole night’s been horrible for me, my family, the entire city," a man who heard multiple shots fired tells the Toronto Star, describing the shootings as "unbelievable" in the city of 70,000 people. "This is a very safe neighborhood, a small city," he says. (More New Brunswick stories.)

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