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Police charge 48-year-old man with murder in Fredericton shooting

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FREDERICTON – Police have charged a 48-year-old Fredericton man with four counts of first degree murder in connection with Friday’s shooting.

Police have identified the man as Matthew Vincent Raymond, but have not said whether he knew any of the deceased.

“Please don’t speculate,” Fredericton Police Chief Leanne Fitch said on Saturday. “Please let all of our investigators do their work and find the facts that need to be found.”

She says the weapon used was a long gun that was fired from “an elevated position.”

Investigators have also confirmed the identities of the two civilians killed, 42-year-old Donnie Robichaud and 32-year-old Bobbie Lee Wright. There was no indication if the two were acquainted with each other.

Robichaud was described as a loving parent of three children who played bass and sang in a few local bands, according to his cousin, Sean Callahan.

Robichaud worked in autobody shops, enjoyed riding his Harley-Davidson and was the kind of man who was always there to lend a hand, Callahan said on Saturday morning.

“The guy was so likable, like I don’t think he had anybody that hated him, and Donnie, if he even hated you, he’d still give you the shirt off his back – he would help you out,” he said.

Const. Robb Costello, a father of four, and Const. Sara Burns, who was married with three children, were also killed in the incident.

After initially saying that a local hospital was treating “multiple victims” of the shooting, health officials clarified Saturday that only one person was being treated. They did not say whether that person was the alleged gunman.

Across Canada, many police forces have lowered their flags to half-mast.

“Just after I tucked my son in bed tonight, and reflected on the day, it was with chagrin that I realized that at least seven children in Fredericton tonight would not have the same luxury. To the children of Sara Burns and Robb Costello, I wish you peace and comfort this night,” Halifax police chief Jean-Michel Blais tweeted on Friday.

That number has now climbed to at least 10 children who lost a parent.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and police are asking anyone who captured photos or video of the incident to come forward.

Fredericton police said Friday night that the city and Red Cross had found lodging for 50 residents unable to return to their homes on Brookside Drive on the city’s north side.

Deputy police chief Martin Gaudet said Friday the two officers responded to reports of a shooting in an apartment complex at about 7:10 a.m. and found two victims on the ground, a man and woman.

“That’s when they (the officers) were shot,” he said during a news conference.

“There were many officers in and around the building at that time, so when the call came in shots fired, officers jumped in a cruiser and attended the scene. They were the initial officers on scene.”

Costello, 45, was a 20-year police veteran, while Burns, 43, had been an officer for two years, and an auxiliary officer prior to that.

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