By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada (AA) – Two police officers were killed in the Canadian province of New Brunswick Friday.
The officers, identified as a mother of three and a father of four, were shot and killed around 7 a.m. as they responded to a call in a neighborhood in Fredericton, a city of about 60,000 and the capital of New Brunswick.
Two other victims — a man and a woman — were on the ground, already shot when the officers arrived. Their names have not been released pending notification of kin.
More police sped to the scene, and a 48-year-old man was arrested at an apartment complex and is in hospital with serious injuries.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the actions of the slain officers — Lawrence Rob Costello, 45 and a 20-year veteran of the Fredericton Police Force, and Sarah May Burns, 43, who had been on the force for two years.
“They did not think twice about what they had to do to keep their fellow Canadians safe,” Trudeau said.
“They were unflinching in their duty. We will not forget the two fallen officers whose sacrifice no doubt saved lives and prevented an even greater tragedy.
“There is no greater gesture than to put oneself in harm’s way to protect the life of another.”
No motive for the crime has been established as yet.
“As the investigation unfolds, [police] will determine exactly what happened and how it happened and why it happened,” Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters.
