Canada closes border with US after guard is shot
A Canadian customs agent was shot along the US border prompting its closure.
A Canadian border guard was shot in the neck along the border with Washington State.
Officials said that the Douglas border crossing had been closed after the incident, which occurred around 2 pm local time.
The Canada Border Services Agency said that the female officer had been injured by gunfire, reported CNN.
The shooter was driving a white Ford Econovan, reported the Vancouver Sun, and killed himself after shooting the guard.
"There were shots fired in quick succession, and then I heard some screams," Dave Noble, a commuter who was in line at the crossing when the incident took place, told the Sun.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said in a statement that “this event is a sobering reminder of the dangerous conditions faced daily by the men and women of our law enforcement agencies as they work to protect the safety and security of Canadians.”
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and colleagues of this Border Service Officer,” he added, according to the Globe and Mail.
The border was reopened later in the afternoon.
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