MONCTON, New Brunswick — Royal Canadian Mounted Police combed the streets and woods of a normally tranquil city Thursday in search of a man suspected of killing three officers the previous evening in the deadliest attack on their ranks in nearly a decade.
The suspect, armed with high-powered long firearms, was spotted three times while eluding the massive manhunt that emptied roads and kept families hunkered in their homes.
Justin Bourque, 24, was seen in three different places around the search area Thursday morning, Cmdr. Marlene Snowman said. Bourque was wearing military camouflage and carrying two rifles in a picture released by police on Twitter.
Investigators have not determined a motive for the shooting Wednesday evening. Three officers were killed after responding to a call about an armed man in the north end of Moncton. Two others were wounded. It was the deadliest attack on the RCMP since four officers were killed by a gunman on a farm in the province of Alberta in 2005. That attack remains the deadliest on Canadian police officers in 120 years.
