Solved case · 2018
The short answer
On the morning of 10 August 2018, a gunman opened fire on Brookside Drive in Fredericton, New Brunswick, killing two civilians and two responding police officers. The accused, Matthew Raymond, was found not criminally responsible in 2020.
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Suggest coverage for 2018 Fredericton shootingOn the morning of 10 August 2018, multiple witnesses reported dozens of shots fired on Brookside Drive between Main Street and Ring Road, a residential neighbourhood on the north side of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. At around 7:10 a.m. ADT, Fredericton Police constables Lawrence Robert Costello and Sara Burns responded to reports of shots fired outside an apartment building. On arrival, they found two people on the ground and were themselves fatally shot as they approached. Police locked down the area and told residents to remain in their homes. By 8:17 a.m., police confirmed they were investigating a shooting with multiple fatalities and asked the public to avoid the area. Gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and police during the incident.
Around 9:00 a.m., an apartment building at 237 Brookside Drive was evacuated. A resident told reporters he woke to gunshots around 8:30 a.m. and saw three bodies from his window. Officers said that around 9:30 a.m. they entered an apartment and arrested the suspect. By around 11:00 a.m., local police said there was no further threat to the public and lifted the lockdown, though the area remained contained for the ongoing investigation.
Four people were killed: constables Lawrence Robert Costello, 45, and Sara Burns, 43, along with civilians Donald Adam Robichaud, 42, a musician, and his girlfriend Bobbie-Lee Wright, 32. Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital initially reported treating multiple victims, but clarified on 11 August that it had received only the four fatalities and the injured suspect.
The accused, 48-year-old Matthew Vincent Raymond of Fredericton, was shot and arrested by police, sustaining serious injuries. Media reports described conflicting characterizations of him from acquaintances, with some describing him as "ignorant" and "Islamophobic," and others, including an apartment complex office manager, describing him as "polite" and "pleasant." Raymond was charged with four counts of first-degree murder. His trial began on 15 September 2020, and he was later found not criminally responsible. He is currently held at the Restigouche Hospital Centre.
The West District detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Major Crimes Division and Fredericton Police jointly investigated the shooting. Police described the gunman as having fired from an elevated position using a long gun. A publication ban on details of the shooting was lifted on 17 August 2018.
The shooting prompted messages of condolence from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale, New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, and Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien. A memorial vigil was held the same day at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, and a regimental funeral for the two officers was held on 18 August 2018.
Gunman opens fire on Brookside Drive in Fredericton around 7:00 a.m. ADT; police officers Lawrence Robert Costello and Sara Burns are fatally shot responding to the scene.
Apartment building at 237 Brookside Drive evacuated around 9:00 a.m.; suspect arrested around 9:30 a.m. after police enter an apartment.
Lockdown lifted around 11:00 a.m.; a memorial vigil held that evening at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church.
Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital clarifies it received only the four fatalities and the injured shooter.
Publication ban on details of the shooting is lifted.
Regimental funeral held for officers Costello and Burns.
Trial of Matthew Raymond begins.
Matthew Raymond is found not criminally responsible for the killings.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Civilian, 32, killed in the shooting[3]
Civilian, 42, musician, killed in the shooting[3]
Fredericton Police constable, 45, killed responding to the shooting[3]
Fredericton Police constable, 43, killed responding to the shooting[3]
Charged with four counts of first-degree murder; found not criminally responsible in 2020 and held at Restigouche Hospital Centre[3]
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
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