On August 10th, 2020, two Canadian police officers were shot and killed after responding to a domestic call in the city of Fredericton, New Brunswick. The officers, 45-year-old Lawrence Robert Costello and 43-year-old Sara Mae Helen Burns, had been dispatched to a residential neighbourhood for a report of an “unwanted person.” When they arrived, they were met with gunfire and both were killed. The suspect was later taken into custody.
The deaths of Costello and Burns have shocked and saddened the community, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressing his condolences and calling their deaths “tragic.” Flags across Canada were lowered to half-mast in honour of the officers and a national moment of silence was held in their memory. The police chief of Fredericton Police Force described the officers as “two of the most dedicated officers” and said their deaths left the police force in “shock and disbelief.” He also said that the force was “heartbroken” and that they were providing support to the families of both officers.