News release

Two men charged following firearm incident

July 23, 2025 - Hillsdale, New Brunswick
From: New Brunswick RCMP

Content

A 55-year-old man from Hillsdale, N.B., and a 36-year-old man from Springfield, N.B., were arrested following a firearm incident in Hillsdale, N.B.

On July 16, 2025, at approximately 8:16 a.m., members of the Sussex and Hampton RCMP Detachments responded to a request for assistance from the Saint John Police Force in relation to a possible missing woman. Police attended a residence on Route 111 in Hillsdale.

Once on location, the woman exited the house and advised that two individuals, both known to police, were still inside the residence and had access to firearms.

As a precautionary measure, a containment area was established. The RCMP’s Emergency Response Team and Tactical Armoured Vehicles attended the scene.

The first individual, a 55-year-old from Hillsdale, exited the residence and was arrested without incident. A short time later, the second individual, a 36-year-old man from Springfield, exited the residence and was also arrested without incident. Following the execution of a search warrant, police seized a shotgun and a crossbow. Both individuals were remanded into custody pending a future court appearance.

On July 17, 2025, 55-year-old Gary Cook appeared in Saint John Provincial Court and was charged with unsafe storage of a firearm. He was released from custody, and will reappear in court on August 14, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

On July 17, 2025, 36-year-old Kevin Hanson appeared in Saint John Provincial Court and was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, unsafe storage of a firearm, and failure to comply with a court order. He was remanded into custody on previous charges. He will appear in court on a future date.

The incident did not meet the criteria for an Alert Ready; however, the New Brunswick RCMP is always prepared to issue an Alert Ready should there be a need.

The investigation is ongoing. 

Contacts