A great father, a loyal friend, a good husband.
Those are the words used to describe Donnie Robichaud, 42, who was one of four people killed in a shooting in Fredericton.
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“He was a great father. He was amazing. He loved us a lot,” said his 17-year-old son Zakk Robichaud.
“He just always wanted to see us grow up.”
Robichaud’s girlfriend, 32-year-old Bobbie Lee Wright, and Fredericton Police Force constables Robb Costello, 45, and Sara Burns, 43, were also killed when shots rang out in a north-end neighbourhood early last Friday.
The alleged shooter, Matthew Vincent Raymond, 48, faces four counts of first-degree murder.
READ MORE: Donnie Robichaud, father of three, identified as victim in Fredericton shooting
Robichaud’s wife, Melissa, from whom he separated last December, says this was a case of being “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She says Robichaud was a former member of the Bacchus Motorcycle Club, but is adamant she doesn’t believe the shooting was related to his biker past.
“It’s absolutely, absolutely not biker related. I mean, people spread rumours and [the biker community] are amazing people who are already showing much support. It has nothing to do with them,” she said.
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She adds that although she was separated from Robichaud, they had a good relationship.
“He was good at everything he did. He was a loyal friend. He would do anything for anybody. He was a good father. He was a good husband. He was just completely special, very special,” she said.
WATCH: Wife of Fredericton shooting victim says he was in ‘wrong place at the wrong time’
Zakk and Melissa spoke to Global News as they were headed to a visitation for Robichaud. His son recalls his father fondly and says he’s shaken by the tragedy.
“He was a great father. When we had no money, he always found a way for us to eat. He always wanted to do things with us, with or without money,” he said.
Melissa says her two children have been her pillars of strength in the wake of the killings, and admits it won’t be an easy road ahead.
“When I look at them, I see him every day. It’s not easy. I mean, they are twins of him. I loved him, I did, very much. It’s tough,” she said.
‘She found the good in everyone’
Meanwhile, an obituary for Wright is remembering the woman as a caring person who “put others before herself.”
According to the obituary, Wright worked as a home support worker and had a passion for researching her family’s ancestry.
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“Affectionately nicknamed ‘bubbles’, those that had the honour of knowing her well knew this described her perfectly,” it reads.
A public visitation for Wright is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 15.
By request, there will be no funeral service for Wright or Robichaud.
– With a file from Morganne Campbell
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