A 20 year-old man, and 23 year-old woman have been apprehended by the police at Halifax airport, while a 17 year-old male was arrested in Cole Harbour. Another 19-year old male suspect was found dead in his home in Timberlea. The circumstances behind his death are currently not known.
The Halifax police were tipped off with information regarding the suspects on Thursday, after which they briefed Halifax’s mayor.
At 1:20 a.m. Friday, they found a deceased 19 year-old male suspect at his Tiger Maple Avenue residence. Prior to his discovery the RCMP advised the residents in the area to remain in their homes.
At 2 am Friday, police apprehended the 20 year-old male, and the female suspect at Halifax’s international airport. Reports suggest that he was waiting for her arrival. The woman is from Geneva, Illinois.
At 11 a.m. the 17-year old suspect was arrested, with no incidents, at his residence in the Halifax area.
Two of the suspects “had access to firearms and it was their intention to go to a public venue in the Halifax region on February 14th with a goal of opening fire to kill citizens, and then themselves” according to a statement by the Nova Scotia RCMP.
“We want people to know we became aware, we acted quickly and intercepted a threat.” said Nova Scotia RCMP Commanding Officer Brian Brennan.
Brennan later made it clear that the police does not believe that the intended attack was in any way culturally or ethnically motivated, but evidence suggests that it was merely a case of what could have been senseless violence.
He reiterated: “I wouldn’t characterize it as a terrorist event. I would classify it as a group of individuals that had some beliefs and were willing to carry out violent acts against citizens.”
Brennan said that he is extremely “confident” that all of the suspects involved have been taken into custody.
The police statement also read that “We believe we have apprehended all known individuals in this matter and eliminated the threat. We are not seeking any further suspects at this time in relation to this investigation.”
Earlier today Premier McNeil released a statement that read: “On behalf of all Nova Scotians, I thank our police officials, here and in the United States, for their quick and professional work.”
Mike Savage later tweeted his appreciation for the RCMP and police’s quick and efficient response:
Steven Blaney Minister of Public Safety said “I applaud the excellent work by officers of the RCMP, CBSA, HalifaxRegional Police and Geneva Police Department for their diligence and collaboration. These arrests are a great example of the fine work they do on a daily basis to help keep Canadians safe. We support our law enforcement agencies who work tirelessly to ensure our communities are safe places to live, work and raise families.”
