Two police officers have been confirmed to be among four people killed in Friday’s shooting in Fredericton, New Brunswick in eastern Canada.

The Police in Fredericton say they would not immediately release the names of the deceased officers as they appreciate that the period was a difficult time for their families and colleagues.

Earlier, police said it had arrested one suspect in connection with the shooting, urging residents in the city to stay indoors with doors locked for their safety and to avoid all areas near the shooting.

“Stay in your house and businesses. Lock the doors and do not use social media to report on police locations. Please help keep everyone safe,” the Police tweeted.

Chris Collins, Speaker of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, tweeted: “In light of the horrible news coming out of Fredericton, I have ordered all flags to half mast on legislative grounds.”

The Fredericton Firefighters Association also warned social media users not to report on police locations during the incident as all concerned authorities were already responding to the active incident.