For people in Moncton, the killing of five police officers in Dallas, Texas Thursday night is a stark reminder of the tragic events that unfolded in their community in June of 2014.
Retired RCMP officer Eric Suley visited the memorial on Friday for the three RCMP officers shot and killed when a shooter went on a rampage through the city after hearing the news of Thursday’s devastating deadly shooting in the U.S.
“You never retire as a police officer if you’ve done it for a career, it’s something you always live with — as veterans, our hearts are broken when police officers fall, it’s as simple as that,” Suley said.
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People in the city, as well as across the country, expressed sorrow and grief for the five officers who lost their lives when a shooter opened fire in an ambush-style attack during a peaceful protest in the city’s downtown.
“We’re talking about people that are sons, fathers, uncles — these people have families. I think police officers put themselves in risks that we don’t, and we need to honour that,” said Moncton resident Olivier Weil.
Pastor David Milette, who comforted his parishioners in the aftermath of the Moncton shootings, says incidents like these show people are in need of guidance.
“To reach out and try to make things better by harming somebody else does not bring back the slain, does not bring back or make up for what happened in a different place,” Milette said.
READ MORE: Monument celebrating lives of fallen RCMP officers unveiled in Moncton
“People should remember that we’re all in this together, and the fact that injustice is perpetrated against one group or another group doesn’t make it any less everyone’s injustice.”