Two civilians were killed in a shooting in Fredericton that also claimed the lives of two police officers.
Thousands of police officers and first responders from across the country are expected to attend a regimental funeral Saturday for two Fredericton constables killed in the line of duty, in what’s expected to be a strong show of support for a police force in mourning.
Martin Gaudet, Fredericton’s deputy police chief, said Wednesday that organizing the event is a “monumental task” as members of the force grieve the loss of constables Robb Costello and Sara Burns.
“The hardest thing for me in regards to arranging all of this is to simply move on one hour at a time or one day at a time,” Gaudet said Wednesday outside the Fredericton police department.
He said a large portion of those who gather at the Aitken University Centre will be uniformed officers from around the country.
“We are expecting thousands of law enforcement personnel and first responders from around the continent to join us to pay tribute to our fallen officers,” Gaudet said.
The police constables were gunned down during a shooting at a north end Fredericton apartment complex Friday that also claimed the lives of Bobbie Lee Wright and Donnie Robichaud.
“All this attention would be terrifying to her,” said her husband, Steven Burns.
He said she could “brighten a room with her smile in an instant and make anyone feel at ease seconds later with just a few words.
Although the regimental funeral is not open to the public due to space constraints, public gatherings to view the funeral will be held at the Grant-Harvey Centre and the Hope City Church.
The public is also encouraged to line the streets of Fredericton for a parade procession made up of police officers and first responders that will precede the funeral.
A public visitation for Burns and Costello is being held Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the ballroom of the Fredericton Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, a public visitation was expected to be held Wednesday for another victim of the deadly shooting spree at a Fredericton apartment complex.
In an obituary published by Carleton Funeral Home in Jacksonville, N.B., Bobbie Lee Wright is remembered as a compassionate person who loved to help others.
The obituary said Wright graduated from Canterbury High School in 2003 and from New Brunswick Community College with a diploma in medical office administration in 2008.
The 32-year-old woman had previously worked on a tree farm, in catering and in an office before embarking on a career as a home support worker.
Matthew Vincent Raymond has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
He is set to appear in court on Aug. 27.
Meanwhile, lawyers appeared in court Wednesday to discuss a publication ban on certain court documents in the case.
The province’s Court of Queen’s Bench issued the ban on Monday, hours after media reported their contents.
Public prosecutor Cameron Gunn told the court that the Crown was prepared to lift the blanket publication ban.
He said an amended order seeking a more ”narrow ban” has been filed instead. It would unseal the documents but continue to block the publication of names of individuals who have not spoken with media yet.
“We’ve made our best efforts to limit this ban,” Gunn told the court, noting that the amended order strikes a balance between freedom of expression and the open court principle with the right to a fair trial.
But David Coles, a lawyer representing various media outlets, told the court there was no basis for sealing the identities of individuals named in the court documents.
He said the names would be in the public domain during the trial, and that reporters could learn the names from other sources.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Judy Clendening has reserved her decision until Friday morning.