The city of Fredericton, New Brunswick was devastated on Friday (August 10) as a gunman claimed the lives of four people, including two police officers with one having ties to the harness racing community.

Reports from New Brunswick indicate that the fallen police officers were 45-year-old Robb Costello and 43-year-old Sara Burns.

An owner of Standardbred horses for a number of years, Burns had been listed as one of the co-owners of grey pacing gelding Grimsby since 2014. Grimsby was featured on an episode of the Rick Mercer Report when Mercer visited the Fredericton fair later that year.

Burns had served with the Fredericton police force for two years, as well as an auxiliary officer for two years prior. She is survived by her husband and three children.

Trot Insider will continue to follow this ongoing story and add updates as they develop.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Sara Burns, Robb Costello and those whose lives were claimed in the shooting.