WATCH: Moncton residents will remember three RCMP officers who were killed and two others were wounded a year ago tomorrow. Global’s Brion Robinson looks at how it has changed the city.
MONCTON – Mayor George LeBlanc says the city of Moncton has changed one year following the shootings that left three RCMP officers dead and two others wounded.
“To a degree, it shattered our perception of our community as being idyllic and as being the perfect place to be,” he said.
LeBlanc reflected on the evening of June 4, 2014.
“I knew there were shootings but I never expected the news I was going to get,” he said. “Boy, it was a tough one.”
The shootings sparked a manhunt in the city’s north end where the officers were killed. It ended when Justin Bourque surrendered to police nearly 30 hours later.
“When you experience things as a community it’s less intense on the individual,” – Dr. Charles Emmrys
In the year following the shootings, residents have come together on several occasions to honour the fallen officers.
“I think in a very dark and tragic time, the people of greater Moncton really came together in a really positive way,” he said. “We are coming together and I think we are coming through this stronger in some ways.”
This week marks one year since the shooting.
Moncton psychologist Dr. Charles Emmrys says it will be a difficult time for many who were close to what happened.
“There’s a phenomena called anniversary stress which is whenever the anniversary of a trauma approaches you’re going to feel it and you’re going to feel it in your body weeks before,” he said.
Dr. Emmrys said people can best heal together.
“Communities naturally want to come together during the anniversary of these moments so they can support each other and minimize the amount of pain that you feel,” he said. “When you experience things as a community it’s less intense on the individual.”
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