By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada (A) – At least 10 people across Canada’s province of Nova Scotia were killed by a gunman dressed as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer, police said Sunday.
One of the dead is an RCMP member and another officer was injured. The suspect was shot dead by police.
No details have been released about the victims, but the killing apparently took place in various locations in the province.
The killings began just before midnight Saturday and continued into Sunday as the suspect, Gabriel Wortman, 51, dressed as a Mountie and driving a car made to look like a RCMP vehicle, made his way across the province.
The rampage began in the small village of Portapique, Nova Scotia, a community of about 300 residents where the suspect lived.
Police confirmed there are at least 10 victims but not all of the crime scenes have been investigated.
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil addressed the killings at a press conference Sunday.
“I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia,” he said. “This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province’s history.”
During his daily update on the coronavirus at a press conference Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also addressed the incident.
“My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation,” he said.
The suspect apparently set at least two RCMP vehicles and some homes on fire, but the RCMP refused to comment on the house fires.
Police first said the suspect was captured but later said he was killed at a gas station.
“Today is a devastating day for Nova Scotia, and it will remain etched in the minds of many for years to come,” said RCMP officer Lee Berman.
How many people were actually killed was not known because police are still investigating possible crime scenes. The victims have not been identified.
As of Sunday, no motive for the killings had been determined.
