The bloodiest mass killing in Canadian history reminds us that it takes more than gun laws to stop would-be killers from waging war on their communities.
We do yet not know the killer’s motive, but among the 18 dead are a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, a teacher, two nurses, some of the attacker’s neighbors and two correctional officers killed in their own home.
In Nova Scotia — Northeast of Maine — one of the most horrific crimes in Canadian history has just played out over the weekend.
A 51-year-old man, Gabriel Wortman, threw on a convincing police uniform, got into a car dummied up to look like a legit squad car, and terrorized the region for much of the weekend before getting shot dead himself.
https://twitter.com/RCMPNS/status/1251841546862952453
Police have not provided a motive for the attack. He said many of the victims did not know the shooter.
“That fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act,” Leather said.
Leather said they would investigate whether it had anything to do with the coronavirus pandemic. “We have not yet determined whether there is any link to the COVID-19 crisis,” he said.
He said at point there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and police.
There were half a dozen police vehicles at the scene of a gas station where the suspect was shot. Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps, and a large silver-colored SUV was being investigated.
The incident started in the small, rural town of Portapique, with police advising residents to lock their homes and stay in their basements.
Police found many dead inside and outside the home of the first scene.
Several structures were on fire in the area as well. — MassLive
As we said, his motive is unclear.
#Colchester: Gabriel Wortman may be driving what appears to be an RCMP vehicle & may be wearing an RCMP uniform. There's 1 difference btwn his car and our RCMP vehicles: the car #. The suspect's car is 28B11, behind rear passenger window. If you see 28B11 call 911 immediately. pic.twitter.com/yyeOeBt8Ui
— RCMP Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020
But we do know a few things about him:
A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP matches CTV video footage of a man being interviewed about donating dentures to a cancer survivor in 2014.
The Globe and Mail reported that an acquaintance said Wortman was obsessed with the police and interviewed others who said he bought old police cruisers at auctions. — Huffpo
