Man charged in Canadian slay of cops, civilians

TORONTO — Canadian police charged a man yesterday for the deaths of two police officers and two civilians in a shooting that struck a nerve in a country that has been roiled in recent months by several instances of mass violence.

Police in the eastern city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, said Matthew Vincent Raymond, 48, was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Horizon Health, which delivers care for New Brunswick’s Department of Health, said Raymond was the only person being treated for injuries related to the shooting. He is due to appear in court Aug. 27.

The victims have been identified as police Const. Robb Costello, 45, police Const. Sara Burns, 43, Donnie Robichaud, 42, and Bobbie-Lee Wright, 32.

Robichaud and Wright were in a relationship, according to Facebook and Robichaud’s cousin, Sean Callahan, who said they had just gotten together at the beginning of August.

No motive has been disclosed, and police said they were working to determine a link between the gunman and the couple.

Police said Costello and Burns were responding to calls of shots fired at an apartment complex and saw two deceased civilians before being shot and killed themselves.

Fredericton police Chief Leanne Fitch said Raymond used a long gun and was in an elevated position when he fired. Fitch said he was shot by police and was in serious but stable condition.

Judith Aguilar, an office manager for Sunfield Apartment Rentals, said Raymond lived in the complex for about four months and was an avid cyclist who often came to pay his rent in cash while wearing a bike helmet.

“He seemed like a very normal and pleasant person, really,” she said. “He’s tall and was in fairly good shape because he biked everywhere.”

At one point, she said maintenance workers needed to do some work in his apartment and he didn’t want the workers there while he wasn’t present.

“He seemed concerned, he said he had an expensive computer and an expensive bike,” she said. “They didn’t even have to go all the way into the apartment, they were just fixing his doorframe at the time.”