Escaped python kills 2 young children in Canada

USPA News - A python escaped from a reptile store in the Canadian province of New Brunswick on early Monday, slithering into an upstairs apartment and strangling two young children as they slept, local authorities said. The snake was later captured by police.

Officers responded to an apartment above a reptile store in Campbellton, a city in the eastern province of New Brunswick, at around 6:30 a.m. local time on Monday after two young boys were found dead. The boys, aged 5 and 7, had been sleeping over at the apartment of a friend, who lives above the store. "The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store sometime overnight, and got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment," said Constable Jullie Rogers-Marsh of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Rogers-Marsh said investigators believe both boys were strangled by the snake as they slept in the apartment above the Reptile Ocean store. "The snake was captured and is in RCMP possession. The investigation into what happened is ongoing," she said, adding that autopsies on the boys will be performed on Tuesday. The store did not immediately comment on Monday`s incident, although messages were posted on the company`s Facebook page after a flood of comments. "Deepest sympathies goes (sic) out to the family of the children. A terrible accident without a meaning. This page will be shut down temporarily to avoid any further demeaning comments," one post said before the page was taken down. Responding to critical comments left by angry Facebook users, some of them calling for criminal charges to be brought against the store, the Reptile Ocean`s post added: "You should be ashamed of yourself. We all have a heavy heart today. As anyone would. And attacks on the animals (sic) owner are unnecessary."