The suspect in the cold-blooded killing of three Canadian policemen has been arrested after a 30-hour manhunt and charged with murder and attempted murder.
Justin Bourque, who is accused of having carried out Wednesday's attack that also wounded two other officers, forced authorities to put the eastern Canadian city of Moncton on lockdown as police searched for the man described as armed and dangerous.
The massive sweep ended when the 24-year-old Bourque finally surrendered, reportedly telling police, "I'm done".
During a brief court appearance reportedly under heavy guard, he was charged with three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
The shooting sent shockwaves rippling across Canada, which prides itself on being largely free of the gun violence that regularly plagues cities in the neighbouring US.
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It was the worst tragedy to hit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police since 2005, when four of its agents were killed in Alberta in the west.
Residents of Moncton, a city of 70,000 in New Brunswick province, had been forced to remain behind locked doors while police combed a wooded neighbourhood with dogs, armoured vehicles and aircraft for about 30 hours.
Moncton had become a ghost town as shops, schools and government buildings remained closed on Thursday, with some leaving the city altogether.
In the end, Bourque surrendered to special operations police without a fight, said Michelle Thibodeau, who witnessed the arrest in her backyard.
"Justin came out with his hands up, and he said, 'I'm done,'" she told public broadcaster CBC.
Bourque was still dressed in the same military fatigues that he wore when he allegedly shot the five officers on Wednesday, and was dripping wet.
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson praised his officers.
"Great work, folks. The results speak for themselves. You have restored order to your community," he said.
Of the victims, he said: "Their deaths are beyond comprehension. Their ultimate sacrifices will never be forgotten."
The fallen officers were identified as Constable David Ross, 32, whose wife is pregnant with their second child; Constable Douglas Larche, 40; and Constable Fabrice Gevaudan, 45, who had joined the RCMP after immigrating to Canada from France.
