Moncton residents can return to their normal routines, police say, following the arrest of Justin Bourque in connection with the shooting that left three Mounties dead and two others wounded.
“With these arrests, the perimeter in Moncton north has been lifted, and residents are now free to go and come as they like,” RCMP Supt. Marlene Snowman said at a news conference Friday morning. “I know this was inconvenient for you, and I would like to thank the affected residents for their patience and their cooperation over the past two days.”
The RCMP also thanked Moncton residents for assisting police in the search, crediting their efforts for contributing to Bourque’s arrest without incident at approximately 12:10 a.m. Friday morning.
“I cannot explain the tremendous support from this city,” said RCMP Commanding Officer Roger Brown. “Drive by the detachment, you’ll see it – the phone calls, the donations, people asking what they can do for the families.”
Brown said he is now asking residents to continue supporting the RCMP in their “efforts to rebuild a sense of security and calmness in the city that was there before.”
And while Moncton Mayor George Leblanc said the small community suffered a tragic loss on Wednesday, he said he is confident Moncton will “get through this.”
“It’s like things have changed in the sense that we look at the community and it seems like a part has been taken away from us,” he told CTV’s Canada AM on Friday morning. “But at the same time, Moncton has always been very resilient, and the people here come together and pull together.”
Police began a manhunt at around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, after responding to a call about a heavily-armed man wearing military camouflage and carrying guns. Five officers were shot over a short period of time after they responded to the scene, Snowman said.
Residents in a north Moncton neighbourhood were urged to say inside their homes and lock their doors as police conducted the manhunt that lasted approximately 30 hours.
