Three Canadian police officers have been killed and two wounded by a gunman in the town of Moncton in the province of New Brunswick.
The gunman is reported to still be on the loose and a large manhunt is under way.
Frightened residents said they heard an exchange of gunfire in a north end neighbourhood on Wednesday where police had been conducting a search.
News about the officers that died in the exchange were first tweeted by police colleagues and eventually confirmed, the BBC reports.
Two more Mounties with non-life-threatening injuries were treated in hospital.
Police said they are looking for 24-year-old Justin Bourque, whom they describe as armed and dangerous.
Officials warned people to stay inside and lock their doors and a number of roads have been blocked off in Moncton, a city about 70,000 people on the east coast.
In a statement, New Brunswick Premier David Alward said he was "shocked and saddened" at the shootings.
