HALIFAX – Two people have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in an alleged plot to attack a public place in Halifax on Valentine’s Day that police allege could have resulted in mass killings.
A third person, a 17-year-old boy from the Halifax area, has been released without charge but police said he remains under investigation.
READ MORE: Mass murder plot foiled in Halifax: RCMP
Police said Saturday that charges have been laid against 23-year-old Lindsay Kantha Souvannarath of Geneva, Ill., and 20-year-old Randall Steven Shepherd of Halifax. They are scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court on Tuesday.
A fourth suspect, a 19-year-old man, was found dead by police around 1:20 a.m. Friday in the Halifax suburb of Timberlea.
Police made the arrests after getting a tip on Crime Stoppers on Thursday morning.
Halifax Police Chief Jean-Michel Blais said the Halifax Shopping Centre was the alleged target of the attack.
“This is a reminder that this type of incident can happen anywhere,” he said in a statement. “Recognizing our citizens may be anxious in the wake of this news, we have additional high visibility patrols in and around the city. We encourage people to go about their daily lives.”
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RCMP Asst. Commissioner Brian Brennan said three long-barrelled rifles have been seized from the home in Timberlea where the man was found dead by police, but he would not elaborate on the types of guns.
Brennan has refused to elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the 19-year-old man’s death, saying the issue has been referred to the province’s Serious Incident Response Team, known as SIRT, which reviews all serious incidents involving police in the province. A statement from SIRT said police found the man dead when they entered the residence.
READ MORE: Halifax plot: So what is ‘terrorism,’ anyway?
None of the allegations made by police or other officials about the case have been heard or proven in court.
Earlier Saturday, Justice Minister Peter MacKay said the alleged plot was not linked to terrorism.
“The attack does not appear to have been culturally motivated, therefore not linked to terrorism,” he said.
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