'I'm done': 'Rambo' killer finally SURRENDERS in woman's front yard after going on shooting rampage that left three Canadian Mounties dead and put city on day-long lock-down

  • Justin Bourque, 24, arrested at around 12.30am
  • He is suspected of shooting dead three officers Wednesday night in Canada
  • Two other officers remain in surgery with serious injuries
  • Has been spotted three times since the shooting began just before 8pm
  • Police tweeted photo of Bourque dressed like Rambo, holding two guns
  • Bourque said to be armed with two assault rifles, a crossbow and knife
  • Mayor of Moncton says he has no idea what the shooter's motivation was
  • Schools were closed and residents urged to stay indoors and lock their doors
  • Canada has been left reeling by the deaths, with violence like this very rare
  • The suspect appears to have added friends on Facebook as police hunt him and his earlier posts include anti-gun control and anti-police rants

A gun-toting man suspected in the shooting deaths of three Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the wounding of two others in a rare case of gun violence in eastern Canada was arrested early Friday, police said.

Paul Greene, a spokesman with the RCMP, said Justin Bourque was arrested at around 12.30am.

The 24-year-old Bourque had been wanted after the shooting Wednesday evening in the northwest area of the city.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police combed the streets and woods of the normally tranquil city of Moncton Thursday in search of a gun-toting man suspected of killing three officers in the deadliest attack on their ranks in nearly a decade.

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Armed and dangerous: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police tweeted an image of suspected cop killer Justin Bourque, 24, wearing military camouflage and wielding two guns

Busted: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested suspected cop killer Justin Bourque, 24, early Friday after 24-hour manhunt

Manhunt: Residents of Moncton are being urged by police to stay indoors

Manhunt: Residents of Moncton are being urged by police to stay indoors

Michelle Thibodeau said she saw the Moncton man arrested in the front yard of her home. Thibodeau, 21, said she heard the suspect say, 'I'm done,' prior to his arrest by officers with guns drawn.

'He was in my backyard. I saw him arrested in front of my eyes. He is alive,' Thibodeau tweeted.

'The swat team arrived at my house and unloaded and started screaming in my backyard for him to surrender and he did. I watched it happen.

'They had him sprawled on my front lawn for some time and then loaded him into the swat vehicle. They are now checking my yard for firearms.'

Much of this normally quiet Canadian city of about 60,400 people was on lockdown prior to the arrest, with frightened residents huddled in their homes as Mounties scoured the eerily quiet streets in search of the man suspected of killing three of their own.

Bourque, 24, 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 in Moncton, an east coast city where gun violence is rare.

Dozens of police officers could be seen in a part of the search perimeter with their weapons drawn, some glancing around buildings.

Others, including members of a tactical unit, were patrolling streets within the cordoned off area. Armored security trucks were also visible.

RCMP Cpl. Chantal Farrah urged residents to keep their doors locked during a press conference Thursday afternoon. 

'Stay at home, bar your doors and be vigilant,' she said. 'I know it's hard for families. You are in your house, you are locked, you have your kids, you want to go outside. But the police are saying to stay in.'

Police employed air support, tactical teams and canine units. Several hundred officers from New Brunswick and elsewhere from across Canada were involved.

Police spotted the Rambo-style Bourque three times since he launched his murderous shooting spree Wednesday evening, including one sighting at around 8am near Moncton's Costco.

There was another close call Thursday afternoon when police cars and armored trucks surrounded a building in the area, presumably thinking Bourque was inside, but they later dispersed.

Trap: Police block off a main road at Wheeler Boulevard in Moncton, New Brusnswick, Canada, June 5 as they continue search of Justin Bourque

Trap: Police block off a main road at Wheeler Boulevard in Moncton, New Brusnswick, Canada, June 5 as they continue search of Justin Bourque

Life as usual: A teen rides his bike past a trailer where murder suspect 24-year-old Justin Bourque resides in Moncton, with an armored police vehicle parked out front

Life as usual: A teen rides his bike past a trailer where murder suspect 24-year-old Justin Bourque resides in Moncton, with an armored police vehicle parked out front

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police armored vehicle moves to a location as the search for a heavily armed gunman continues

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police armored vehicle moves to a location as the search for a heavily armed gunman continues

On guard: A police officer stands guard outside a home as they continue to search for evidence

On guard: A police officer stands guard outside a home as they continue to search for evidence

Police block off Killam Road on the border of the lockdown area and question drivers as they leave the perimeter in Moncton
Police block off a main road at Wheeler Boulevard in Moncton

Ambush: Police block off Killam Road on the border of the lockdown area and question drivers as they leave the perimeter in Moncton

Rough day: A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer rests his head at a roadblock in Moncton

Rough day: A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer rests his head at a roadblock in Moncton

By land and by air: A helicopter patrols over the dense woodland near Wheeler Boulevard in Moncton in search of Justin Bourque

By land and by air: A helicopter patrols over the dense woodland near Wheeler Boulevard in Moncton in search of Justin Bourque

'We received some information and did a search and it was unfounded,' a RCMP spokeswoman told MailOnline Thursday afternoon. She confirmed that the suspect remains at large.

At one point, he was seen coming in and out of a wooded area, said Commander Marlene Snowman, who added that Bourque was not known to police, meaning that he had never been seen as a cause for concern by officials before his rampage.

Schools and government offices were closed, and the city pulled its buses off the roads. Mail delivery was suspended.

Commanding Officer Roger Brown said the two wounded officers underwent surgery for non-life-threatening injuries Thursday and he met with their families. One was later released from hospital.

'The RCMP family is hurting. As is Moncton, New Brunswick and our country,' Brown said.

False alarm: Curious locals watch as police officers surround a building on Mountain Road, but they later dispersed after failing to find the suspect

False alarm: Curious locals watch as police officers surround a building on Mountain Road, but they later dispersed after failing to find the suspect

A McDonald's Restaurant on Mountain Road, in the lockdown area of Moncton, displays a sign apologizing for its closure in the midst of a manhunt for Justin Bourque
Police at a roadblock in Moncton

Under siege: Families hunkered down in their homes and businesses closed down at the urging of police, who are asking townspeople to stay off the streets

Desperate search: A heavily armed Emergency Response Team member walks on the roof of a house in Moncton

Desperate search: A heavily armed Emergency Response Team member walks on the roof of a house in Moncton

The first reports of danger came at around 7.20pm Wednesday when Bourque was seen wandering in the residential area of Moncton in New Brunswick wearing military camouflage, a headband, and wielding two guns.

‘He is very mobile and still considered very dangerous. Armed and dangerous,’ Roger Brown said in a Thursday morning press conference.

He has ‘long fire arms, long rifles but I can’t tell you anything more than that,’ RCMP spokeswoman Snowden said.

‘We know he had more than one firearm and we believe that he also had ammunition to cause damage.

‘He’s a young person in his early 20s he had high powered firearms… we’re doing a complete investigation about him about his history, about what sparked this.

‘There’s no question that we're going to continue this search in order to apprehend him at all costs hopefully without further (fatalities).’

The only insight into the 24-year-old's motivations behind his shooting spree come from baffled friends and his frequent Facebook posts, where he regularly shared photos and messages from anti-gun control groups and posts that criticized the police.

Full protection: Police and tactical teams have been called to Moncton from all over Canada

Full protection: Police and tactical teams have been called to Moncton from all over Canada

Moving on: At one point Thursday afternoon, armored vehicles and SWAT teams surrounded a building after receiving a tip about the suspect's whereabouts, but it ended up being a false alarm

Moving on: At one point Thursday afternoon, armored vehicles and SWAT teams surrounded a building after receiving a tip about the suspect's whereabouts, but it ended up being a false alarm

Controling the public: Residents in the area have been asked to stay indoors as the search continues but this man was evacuated from the boarding house he is living in because it was close to the building they raided

Controling the public: Residents in the area have been asked to stay indoors as the search continues but this man was evacuated from the boarding house he is living in because it was close to the building they raided

Police have urged Moncton residents to stay inside and lock their doors in an effort to both keep the streets clear but also to lessen the chance of further fatalities.

As a result, citizens have not been able to provide updates of the situation- and the police specifically praised them this morning for not updating social media accounts to include reports of where police have been spotted because they said that helps keep the officers safe in case Bourque is able to check reports on a mobile device.

‘We know he had more than one firearm and we believe that he also had ammunition to cause damage'

-Police spokeswoman Marlene Snowden

One shocked local family caught the gunfight on camera and uploaded the footage to Facebook, and the only photo of the shooter himself came from the RCMP who shared a photo of Bourque on their official Twitter account.

Local schools were shut and buses cancelled as the police hunt the shooter.

Caitlin Isaac worked with Bourque at Walmart several years ago and told Business Insider:  ‘I never took him seriously, but he always said he wanted to go out with a bang and bring people with him.’

She added: ‘He always seemed to have a problem with authority. Issues with parents, bosses, police…’

Isaac explained that Bourque was fired from Walmart for his 'attitude' and being 'defiant'.

But she said he seemed ‘friendly enough’.

  
Peering outside: Moncton residents heard the gunshots but could only gather information by looking outdoors and seeing how the police were preparing for a standoff on Wednesday night, though Bourque has still evaded capture
Peering outside: Moncton residents heard the gunshots but could only gather information by looking outdoors and seeing how the police were preparing for a standoff on Wednesday night, though Bourque has still evaded capture

Peering outside: Moncton residents heard the gunshots but could only gather information by looking outdoors and seeing how the police were preparing for a standoff on Wednesday night, though Bourque has still evaded capture

Graphic: Fresh blood was visible at the shooting scene on Wednesday

Graphic: Fresh blood was visible at the shooting scene on Wednesday

Broken glass and blood stains: the intended targets of these shootings was unclear as the cars appear to belong to civilians rather than police

Broken glass and blood stains: the intended targets of these shootings was unclear as the cars appear to belong to civilians rather than police

Looking for clues: Police said Thursday that they are conducting a thorough investigation into the suspect's background

Looking for clues: Police said Thursday that they are conducting a thorough investigation into the suspect's background

Another friend revealed that on a camping trip Bourque spent the entire night clutching a rifle, which unsettled the group a great deal. They didn’t invite him the next time they went.

Mike Campbell, who described himself as Bourque's best friend, revealed that ominously that Bourque told him a few weeks ago that it wasn’t likely that he would see him in the near future.

Campbell and Bourque were childhood friends and he told Business Insider that they would play with 'little green army men' and talk of their hopes to join the military.

They drifted apart when competitive sports became a factor in the growing boys' lives but stayed in touch, to the point that Bourque visited Campbell to pay his respects when Campbell's father died recently.

'We were just sitting in the garage drinking a little bit of whiskey, listening to some Black Sabbath, and having a good time. Then he got up. "I should get home before I pass out," is what he said. "I'm going to go,"' Campbell said.

Mourning: The shooting has turned into a national tragedy in Canada, where gun violence is uncommon, and the national flag has been lowered to half mast throughout the country including above the Peace Tower in Ottawa (pictured Thursday)

Mourning: The shooting has turned into a national tragedy in Canada, where gun violence is uncommon, and the national flag has been lowered to half mast throughout the country including above the Peace Tower in Ottawa (pictured Thursday)

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Damien Theriault holds back tears while addressing the media
Mayor George LeBlanc addresses the media

Overhwlemed: Asked how he was dealing with his grief, Theriault (left) said he personally knew the officers before breaking down; the mayor (right) also appeared in tears

Theriault and Mayor LeBlanc embraced after the emotional news conference about the shootout

Theriault and Mayor LeBlanc embraced after the emotional news conference about the shootout

'I told him, "Get hold of me later." And he was like, "I don't know. You take care, Mike. You have a good life."

'And I said, "No, man really. You're not going to come visit me? Come over any time, I'll be here."

'And he was like, "That probably won't be able to happen...." I was kind of weirded out by it. A few weeks later all this crazy nonsense happened.'

Asked about the shootings, he said the situation is 'not right' but that Bourque 'would be the last person I would think would do this'.

He revealed that members of Bourque's family had been ordered out of their house at gunpoint.

Moncton resident Joan MacAlpine-Stiles told the CBC that she was looking out the window to her backyard when Bourque walked right by wearing his full gear.

'It's a very scary place to be right now,' she said.

'It's rather unearthing to have tactical teams and camouflaged officers in your.

'When youre afraid in your home, it's not a very good thing.'

RCMP officer Damien Theriault and Mayor George LeBlanc made an emotional address to the media during a late-night news conference at City Hall in Moncton after the deaths.

'Fascinated by guns': Justin Bourque (left), the man wanted by police for shooting three officers dead and wounding two more in the Canadian city of Moncton. He is show here wearing a camouflage jacket with weapons on what appears to be a hunting trip with a friend

'Fascinated by guns': Justin Bourque (left), the man wanted by police for shooting three officers dead and wounding two more in the Canadian city of Moncton. He is show here wearing a camouflage jacket with weapons on what appears to be a hunting trip with a friend

Gun fanatic: Bourque was said to be obsessed with weapons and is pictured here taking aim on the hunting trip

Gun fanatic: Bourque was said to be obsessed with weapons and is pictured here taking aim on the hunting trip

Dramatic: Twitter user Matt Arsenault took this picture of police surrounding a house in Moncton, New Brunswick, after a shootout with suspect Justin Bourque

Dramatic: Twitter user Matt Arsenault took this picture of police surrounding a house in Moncton, New Brunswick, after a shootout with suspect Justin Bourque

Danger zone: Where the violence erupted in Moncton, with the RCMP urging those in the red area to stay indoors

Danger zone: Where the violence erupted in Moncton, with the RCMP urging those in the red area to stay indoors

Theriault said he personally knew the officers killed, before breaking down and excusing himself because he couldn't complete his sentence.

Theriault said the city of Moncton didn't have a homicide last year or this year until Wednesday evening.

'We have been blessed until this point,' he told The Associated Press.

Witness Danny Leblanc, 42, said he saw the shooter in the distance Wednesday evening, wearing a camouflage outfit and standing in the middle of the street with his gun pointed at police cars.

The construction worker said he believed it was an RCMP officer he was looking at until he heard a burst of automatic gunfire coming from the man's gun.

'I told him, "Get hold of me later." And he was like, "I don't know. You take care, Mike. You have a good life."

                   -Mike Campbell, a childhood friend of shooter Justin Bourque, recalling his last interaction with Bourque a few weeks ago

He said he quickly retreated into his home and remained there with his family. At one point a neighbor posted on social media that their kitchen window was shattered by gunfire.

According to witnesses, the first gunshots came from a wooded area about 100 yards from the trailer park where Bourque lives. 

Leblanc said few people on his normally quiet street were sleeping as they waited for word at midnight on whether arrests had been made.

Word that police had been killed shocked the city, Leblanc said.

'It's devastating. I don't know if he was on a hunt for them, or what,' he said.

Police say Bourque is carrying two military-style assault rifles with high capacity magazines, a bow and a knife.

A Facebook page attributed to the suspect is filled with posts about weaponry, hunting and police officers.

His last status update posted hours before the deadly shootout included lyrics from Megadeth's song Hook in Mouth.

'Don't try to fool us, we know the worst is yet to come/ I believe my kingdom will come,' the Facebook user wrote.

Shattered: A Codiac Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer drives with the rear door window shot out by a bullet in Moncton, New Brunswick

Shattered: A Codiac Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer drives with the rear door window shot out by a bullet in Moncton, New Brunswick

High alter: Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers use their vehicles to create a keep a perimeter in Moncton

High alter: Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers use their vehicles to create a keep a perimeter in Moncton

It appears that two friends have been added to the profile as police continue the manhunt.

Police had a number of roads in Moncton blocked and traffic was backed up on major arteries.

Drivers were also asked to stay out of the area.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc urged all residents to pay strict attention to the RCMP warnings.

'The police and other emergency personnel are working under extremely difficult conditions and need our complete cooperation. Stay home, stay safe. If you cannot get home, seek out a friend or family and remain there until you are advised otherwise,' LeBlanc said in a statement.

Police first received a call at around 7.20pm Wednesday about an armed man roaming the streets dressed in camouflage.

Keeping residents safe: Police officers walk around a strip mall urging merchants to shut down their stores as a precaution

Keeping residents safe: Police officers walk around a strip mall urging merchants to shut down their stores as a precaution

Firepower: Police say Bourque is carrying two military-style rifles with high capacity magazines, a bow and a knife

Firepower: Police say Bourque is carrying two military-style rifles with high capacity magazines, a bow and a knife

Joan MacAlpine-Stiles told CBC.ca she spotted the alleged shooter when she went to open a window.

‘I said, “Oh my God, there he is with camouflage and the headband and a gun, and it looked like a bow he had with him, and I mean he was just through our backyard."’

Will Njoku told the news outlet he was putting his children to bed just before 8pm when he heard popping sounds, followed by sirens.

When he learned there is a gunman at large, Njoku went outside to warn his neighbors.

Resident Heidi James told CTV News she heard four or five shots, prompting her to move her children away from the windows.

When her husband peered outside, he saw a body lying on the ground covered with a blanket next to a shot-up vehicle.

Last post: Bourque published this set of song lyrics shortly before starting his shooting spree at around 7.20pm on Wednesday, and friends reacted in the comments

Last post: Bourque published this set of song lyrics shortly before starting his shooting spree at around 7.20pm on Wednesday, and friends reacted in the comments

Gun control fight: Bourque regularly shared anti-gun control groups' photos
Gun control fight: Bourque regularly shared anti-gun control groups' photos

Gun control fight: Bourque regularly shared anti-gun control groups' photos

Graphic: He posted lyrics to the song Castratikron by Dethklol a month ago and it was widely shared

Graphic: He posted lyrics to the song Castratikron by Dethklol a month ago and it was widely shared

Twitter user Matt Arsenault shared photos from the crime scene depicting a dark-colored sedan with all its windows shattered surrounded by a pool of blood.

The Horizon Health Network, a provincial health authority, said on its Twitter feed that two patients were taken to Moncton Hospital with gunshot wounds.

Theriault said earlier the search for the suspect was concentrated around two streets.

Sean Gallacher, who lives near the area where police were concentrating their search, said he heard what he now believes were gunshots but initially thought his daughter had dropped some toys on the floor above him.

'I was downstairs and heard a few bangs,' said Gallacher, 35.

Friend's outrage: One of shooter Justin Bourque's friends, Cameron Keeping, expressed his shock late Wednesday night, hours after the former Walmart employee's rampage began

Friend's outrage: One of shooter Justin Bourque's friends, Cameron Keeping, expressed his shock late Wednesday night, hours after the former Walmart employee's rampage began

Lockdown: Employees of a grocery store lock down their store in Moncton, New Brunswick, after a shootout

Lockdown: Employees of a grocery store lock down their store in Moncton, New Brunswick, after a shootout

Duck and cover: Police officers take cover behind their vehicles in Moncton

Duck and cover: Police officers take cover behind their vehicles in Moncton

Canadian Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney tweeted that he was 'shocked by the tragedy' and that his thoughts and prayers were with frontline RCMP officers.

Such violence is rare in Canada, particularly on Canada's East Coast.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement the deaths of the officers would be honored and remembered.

'This is a sad time for the people of Moncton, the people of New Brunswick and for Canada,' he said.

Four Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were shot and killed in the western Canadian province of Alberta in 2005 in the deadliest attack on Canadian police officers in 120 years. They had been investigating a farm in Mayerthrope, a small hamlet in Alberta when a man shot them before he was killed.

INSIDE THE MIND OF A KILLER: THE SUSPECT'S LATEST FACEBOOK POST

A Facebook page attributed to the suspect is filled with posts about weaponry, hunting and police officers.

His last status update posted hours before the deadly shootout included lyrics from Megadeth's song 'Hook in Mouth'.

Underneath the post, user Phil Hache wrote: 'You knew this wasn't the answer.'

The post read:

'A cockroach in the concrete, courthouse tan and beady eyes.
A slouch with fallen arches, purging truths into great lies. A little man with a big eraser, changing history
Procedures that he's programmed to, all he hears and sees.
Altering the facts and figures, events and every issue.
Make a person disappear, and no one will ever miss you.
Rewrites every story, every poem that ever was.
Eliminates incompetence, and those who break the laws.
Follow the instructions of the New Ways' Evil Book of Rules.
Replacing rights with wrongs, the files and records in the schools.
You say you've got the answers, well who asked you anyway?
Ever think maybe it was meant to be this way?
Don't try to fool us, we know the worst is yet to come.
I believe my kingdom will come.'




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