CANADA — A gunman is dead after police say he went on a lengthy murder spree in Nova Scotia Saturday night and into Sunday.
Officers responded to a shooting scene in the neighborhood of Portapique and found ‘multiple victims inside and outside or a residence.’
The manhunt for the shooter, later identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, went throughout the night and cops also located multiple structure fires.
Wortman reportedly was posing as a police officer and was wearing a uniform and driving a patrol car. It is unclear how Wortman obtained those items.
#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
51-year-old Gabriel Wortman is the suspect in our active shooter investigation in #Portapique. There are several victims. He is considered armed & dangerous. If you see him, call 911. DO NOT approach. He’s described as a white man, bald, 6’2-6’3 with green eyes. pic.twitter.com/Y2nJNULlkn
— RCMP, Nova Scotia (@RCMPNS) April 19, 2020
Officers found and engaged the suspect on Sunday where he was fatally shot, In all, police say at least 17 people were killed—they warn that number could rise. Among the dead is a female Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.
“In excess of 10 people have been killed,” RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said. “We believe it to be one person who is responsible for all the killings and that he alone moved across the northern part of the province and committed what appears to be several homicides.”
“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,” Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said. “This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province’s history.”
A motive for the tragedy remains under investigation.
Watch the press conference below.
