Canada is making headlines today for presence of Pope Francisbut now also for several shoots, something unusual in this North American country, unlike its neighbor the United States: the police confirmed today three fatal victims in “multiple shootings” in the province of British Columbiain the southwest of the country.
Pope Francis arrived in Canada and asked for forgiveness on behalf of the Catholic Church
Pope Francis denied he would resign soon and denied he was ill
Pope Francis at a ceremony with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday in Canada – EUROPAPRESS
Canadian police released first thing today an alert and identified the potential suspect. Later they confirmed the arrest of a man although they assume that he did not act alone. police spokeswoman confirmed several civilian casualties although still without specifying figures, indicated the Canadian Radio Canada.
Authorities said most of the shootings took place in downtown Langley, a town of 26,000 people about 30 miles southeast of Vancouver. Another incident was reported in nearby Langley Township.
The suspect was killed by the police.
The police spokeswoman confirmed several civilian casualties, although she has not yet specified numbers, the Canadian CBC reported.
Reuters quoted an eyewitness in a ditch near one of the filming locations, he saw two black off-road vehicles – one with bullet holes on the windshield- such as those used by police emergency response teams.
Attacks of this type are not common in Canada. The deadliest in the country’s history happened in 2020 when a man disguised as a police officer shot people in their homes and set fires across the province of Nova Scotia, killing 22 people.
WHAT WILL THE POPE DO TODAY
The Pope’s six-day visit, comes after years of petitions from Indigenous leaders and prominent politicians that the Vatican apologizes for the boarding schools under the guardianship of the Catholic Church in Canada, designed to erase native culture and language to separate children from their families by force, to assimilate them into Western customs.
Pope Francis has been using a wheelchair for months due to pain in his right knee – EUROPAPRESS
Some indigenous leaders say it will fill one of the largest remaining chunks of the Canada’s Reconciliation Efforts in the Face of a Brutal Education System that a national commission declared as a form of “cultural genocide”.
Before the Pope’s visitone of the first indigenous leaders to publicly describe abuse he suffered in Catholic-run boarding schools, He said that “many of us have had thoughts about the Catholic Church for a long time and this particular moment can sweep away those doubts that were there.”
Canadian police issued an alert early today and identified the potential suspect.
“For everything to work, you have to know how to forgive”added Phil Fontaine, the former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. “And that means you have to to make peace with the Church”.
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