Police foil plot to kill people at Canadian mall

TORONTO (AP) -- A senior police official says police foiled a plot by two suspects who were planning on going to a mall and killing as many people as they could before killing themselves on Valentines Day in Halifax.

The official said Friday the suspects were on a chat stream and were apparently obsessed with killing and death and had many photos of mass killings.

The official said one of the two suspects, a 23-year-old American woman from Geneva, Illinois, was arrested at Halifax's airport and confessed to the plot. The official said she tweeted a number of pronouncements to be tweeted after her death.

The official also said the 19-year-old male suspect shot himself after police surrounded his parent's home. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

RCMP Sgt. Alain LeBlanc said it is not related to Islamic terrorism. Brennan also said he wouldn't classify it as a "terrorist event." A senior government official also said it is not terror related. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Police released no details about the motive but said they arrested three young suspects. The fourth suspect, the 19-year-old man, was found dead at a residence when police entered a home. Brennan said the female American suspect was arrested when she arrived at Halifax's airport. "Had they been able to carry out their intentions the possibility for a large loss of life was definitely there," Brennan said.

Brennan declined to release where they plotted to attack.

Police said the two other Nova Scotia men, ages 20 and 17, were also involved, although he said investigators are still trying to determine what their role was.

"We believe we have apprehended all known individuals in this matter and have eliminated the threat.We are not seeking any further suspects at this time in relation to this investigation," Brennan said.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney applauded the work of police in Canada and Geneva, Illinois and well as border officials in a statement.

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