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Gunman Still at Large After Killing Three Police Officers in Canada

Canadian police are still searching for a man, identified as 24-year-old Justin Bourque, who killed three on-duty police officers and injured two others in a shooting spree in New Brunswick. 

By Danielle Wiener-Bronner
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Canadian police are still searching for a man, identified as 24-year-old Justin Bourque, who killed three on-duty police officers and injured two others in a shooting spree in New Brunswick. The manhunt has sent several neighborhoods in the city of Moncton into lockdown, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police continue to issue alerts via social media: 

A photo of Bourque that has been circulating online shows the suspect dressed in camouflage and carrying a rifle:

Terrified residents watched from their homes as the police were under attack by the gunman. One family told CBC News that they witnessed the gunman approaching an RCMP officer who was ducked down behind a vehicle and did not see the shooter. They said they tried to warn the officer, but he did not hear them before he was shot. The same family uploaded a cellphone video, shot from inside their house, to Facebook.

In search of a motive, some are looking to a Facebook account which appears to belong to the shooter, but has not been confirmed as such. The page shows a number of pro-gun and anti-police statuses, including a most recent post including lyrics from a Megadeth song, "Hook in the Mouth." The song includes the line, "Make a person disappear, and no one will ever miss you," among others, and some are interpreting the status as a sign of violent intentions. And according to The Huffington Post, recent activity means the account could still be active: 

It appears that two new friends were added to Justin Bourque's Facebook as police were searching for the accused shooter, leading to speculation he is accessing social media with a smartphone. It's not clear if the friends were added due to Facebook activity on the friends' part or if Bourque logged into his account.

In a statement, New Brunswick premier David Alward said he was shocked and saddened by the news, adding: "On behalf of all New Brunswickers, I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers to those affected. I would ask New Brunswickers, particularly in those areas identified by police, to follow the situation as it develops and to listen to the advice of police."

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.