(Ottawa) Ottawa police say four children and two adults died and a seventh person was injured in what police described as an attack by a lone actor Wednesday evening.
Police Chief Eric Stubbs said in an interview with CBC News that it was a “mass shooting,” but an Ottawa police spokeswoman would not confirm the nature of the shooting. tear.
Police were called to a townhouse in the Barrhaven neighborhood shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday and officers discovered the bodies in what Stubbs said was a “horrific scene.”
One person was arrested very shortly after, and Stubbs says there is no ongoing threat to public safety.
Police are still trying to determine the relationship between the suspect and the victims, but it does not appear to be the result of domestic violence, according to the police chief.
A seventh person was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, THE CANADIAN PRESS
None of the victims have been identified.
“A mass shooting like this, with this number of victims, is not a common occurrence in this community,” Stubbs told CBC. It’s a safe community. »
Police are expected to speak to the media later Thursday to provide an update.
Barrhaven is a neighborhood located approximately 20 kilometers south of downtown Ottawa. The house is located on Berrigan Drive, a busy street close to two elementary schools.
On Thursday morning, five marked police cars were parked on the street and in driveways near the house.
A neighbor a few doors away from the house, who did not want to give her name, said she heard a lot of screaming around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. And around 11 p.m., at least a dozen police cars surrounded the home, she said.
Several people in white overalls were coming in and out of the house early in the morning.
Around 9 a.m., investigators began loading something into a van parked in the driveway, while other officers blocked the view of the front door with a white sheet. A stretcher was behind the van.
Police said investigation teams remained at the scene and asked anyone with information to contact the homicide unit.
On social media, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe wrote that he was devastated to learn of the multiple homicides, which he added were “one of the most shocking incidents of violence in the history of our city. »
The mayor also thanked emergency responders who are investigating and supporting those affected by this event.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also offered his condolences.
“The news this morning is heartbreaking,” he wrote on X. “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the six victims as well as the entire Ottawa community who are in shock from this terrible tragedy. »