Mass Shootings

More info on the victime in this article.


The RCMP are defending a decision not to send out a public alert until late in a gunman’s 12-hour rampage through rural Nova Scotia, in what has become the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.

On Wednesday, provincial RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather said police were in the process of crafting an alert for the province’s emergency notification system when the killer – who The Globe and Mail has learned had drawn up a list of names of people to target – was gunned down Sunday.

The decision to finally issue an alert came many hours after the province activated its Emergency Management Office (EMO), which had contacted police multiple times about sending an alert but never received a request from the RCMP to do so.



Chief Supt. Leather said delays within the chain of command slowed their ability to get an urgent message out.

“You can appreciate that a series of phone calls had to be made to find the officer in charge that evening and to speak to the serious incident commander to have the conversation about the issuing of a message,” he said. “A lot of the delay was based on communications between the EMO and the various officers – and then a discussion about how the message would be constructed and what it would say.”



The RCMP initially chose to spread the information via Twitter, instead of a system that would have sent warnings out to cellphones across the province. It’s not clear why the RCMP changed their approach and decided to plan to use the provincial alert network.

(THIS MAKE NO SENSE)


Families of some victims have wondered aloud whether some of the 22 people killed over the weekend may have been spared if more people had known a gunman was on the loose.

(OBVIOUSLY)

The Chief Superintendent, however, said he was “very satisfied” with the messaging that went out to officers and to the public on Twitter, and reiterated that those involved in the response were processing information that was changing very quickly.

(FIRE THAT GUY)

“Twitter allowed our information to be shared, followed and broadcast by local, provincial and national news outlets,” Chief Supt. Leather said. “From that initial call, our response was dynamic and fluid, with members using their training to assess what was going on while encountering the unimaginable."

While Nova Scotians found out a killer was on the loose through social media or phone calls from friends, the U.S. Consulate in Halifax sent e-mail alerts to its citizens warning of the danger.


The Globe learned Wednesday that the gunman had gathered a list of people to target, according to one of his would-be victims.

Refusing to name the Nova Scotia mass shooter avoids one problem – but creates another

Will the rampage in Nova Scotia prove to be a pivotal moment in Canadian gun control?

‘Completely heartbroken’: Nova Scotian athletes reflect on the shooting that struck their home province

Nathan Staples, a man from Glenholme, N.S., who lives about 15 minutes from where the killing began Saturday night, said investigators told him Tuesday that they found his name on a list obtained when the RCMP searched the Portapique property of the shooter, a 51-year-old denturist.

Mr. Staples believes this is why a heavily armed tactical officer appeared at his home after midnight Saturday, while the killer was still on the loose, having evaded police while driving a look-alike RCMP cruiser and wearing an officer’s uniform. His neighbours did not have a similar visit, he said.

“The investigator said I was seventh or eighth on the list. I didn’t know what to think,” Mr. Staples said. “He came to apologize. He said ‘we’re sorry we couldn’t have been there quicker.’ That’s when I got angry.”

He and the shooter once shared an interest in old police cars, but Mr Staples says he can’t guess why gunman Gabriel Wortman would have had him on a list – other than a few months earlier, he had declined to sell a used police car to him. The RCMP said they couldn’t discuss any specifics of their investigation.

There are growing questions around others areas of the Mounties’ manhunt – including how the killer managed to evade police for as long as he did, escaping a perimeter around the initial shootings.



How was this allowed to happen?” Mr. Staples said. “How could they not stop it? How could this go on for more than 12 hours, when this guy was still out there, shooting people? This was a royal screw-up.”

Police have determined that the gunman acted alone. But investigators are still trying to learn whether anyone assisted him leading up to the incident, and declined to reveal the type of guns used by the shooter.

At times during the chaotic hours after the shootings began, it wasn’t always clear who police were chasing. At one point during the manhunt, two Mounties shot bullets into a fire hall in Lower Onslow, N.S. The hall was being used as a Red Cross registration centre for evacuees from the Portapique area
.

(OBVIOUSLY HE HAD ASSISTANCE)

While no one was injured, that incident is now under investigation by the civilian oversight agency for police in Nova Scotia.

“We don’t know what they were shooting at,” said Pat Curran, interim director of the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), an independent body that investigates police actions. “We just know that the suspect was not in the area at that time.”

Four people, including one evacuee from Portapique Beach Road and Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade Chief Greg Muise, were inside the fire hall when gunfire exploded into the building Sunday at 10:30 a.m.



The RCMP has declined to answer questions about what happened. For the past two days, calls from the public have lit up Mr. Muise’s phone.

(THEY NEED TIME TO BUID UP A STORY LINE)

“I shouldn’t be the one getting calls,” Mr. Muise said. “[RCMP] should be the ones putting it out and letting people know what happened and they seem to be lagging on it.”

A streak of more than a dozen bullet holes perforate the white vinyl siding near the front entrance of the hall, where flags flew at half-mast. The east side of the building was also hit, and bullets shattered the front windshield of a fire truck.

Mr. Muise said the gunman was caught on video travelling past the fire hall, which is 28 kilometres east of Portapique, before the shootout.

“All I know is our building was shot up and I was never told who did the firing,” he said.

SIRT is also asking RCMP for clarification on injuries to a civilian during the initial shootings and arson when the killings started around Mr. Wortman’s rural home in Portapique.



One man who drove to the scene to help Saturday night had his vehicle fired upon – causing injuries that sent him to hospital. He was treated and released, but declined to talk about what happened.

Open this photo in gallery

RCMP officers maintain a checkpoint on a road Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2021.

Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press


Family of volunteer firefighter Corrie Ellison, who was among those killed Saturday night, wondered whether an emergency alert could have saved lives. They’re still looking for answers.

“We don’t really know a whole lot about what happened,” said Ellison’s aunt, Doris Ellison. “This has been an awful shock to the family.”

Police, meanwhile, are trying to piece together the connection between the victims, some of whom knew the killer, and some who appeared to have no connection at all. Among the victims are Lisa McCully, a school teacher, who rented a cottage from him on an adjacent property in Portapique. She was one of 13 neighbours killed in the area immediately surrounding the gunman’s home, as he lit houses on fire and shot people outside.

In some cases, the gunman drove significant distances to find his victims. Shawn McLeod, a former hunting buddy, was killed along with his wife, Alanna Jenkins, at their house in Wentworth, more than 50 kilometres from the killer’s home in Portapique. Their neighbour, Tom Bagley, was killed when he ran over to help Sunday morning.

Gina Goulet, a fellow denturist, was killed at her bungalow in the countryside outside Shubenacadie, more than 75 kms away from Portapique. It was also in Shubenacadie that the killer was in a shootout with the RCMP – a violent exchange that left Constable Heidi Stevenson dead and another Mountie injured. He wasn’t stopped until he reached Enfield, about half an hour north of Halifax, where two officers shot him dead.



Other shootings appeared to be completely random, including Lillian Hyslop, shot while walking her dog, a father named Joey Webber, out Sunday morning to get some furnace oil, and three people pulled over at the side of the road.

Cyndi Starratt is one of the few people who live on Portapique Beach Road who survived. She was in Truro at her daughter’s house that night, and said she’s lucky to be alive.

“I’d like to think he wouldn’t have hurt us,” she said. “But I can’t put myself inside his head. They were all good folks that he killed.”

With a report from The Canadian Press

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You might have seen a photo of the other vehicle, the silver SUV, which the Ford Excursion limo hit in the parking lot before it ended up in the creek beyond that.

The main discrepancy I see is that images of the limo being pulled out of the creek show more of the (right-side) doors 'intact', while the above photo of the wreck shows just the last three intact. However, it's likely they cut away a number of doors afterwards, especially considering their description of the engine having ended up in the middle of the vehicle.

rawImage.jpg

The problem here is veracity of photo. This photo you're showing here was not the favored photo at the time. Actually, you're jogging my memory now. I believe this photo eventually did show up, and it cracked me up since it didn't look anything like the two initial photos used for the "crash" (and, as you see, they themselves don't even match each other):

Photo Number 1:

images-2.jpg

Photo Number 2:

images-3.jpg

On top of that, to advertise the "official" videos on Youtube talking about the accident, there were tiny thumbnail photos of horrific looking accidents that didn't even bear any resemblance to the conditions of the "crash" -- one showing a devastating limo crash that took place in the middle of a major highway -- and when you went to look at the video in order to see more about the crash itself, you just saw pictures of the deceased and their families: the usual mourning/memorial stuff. No images of the crash at all.

Also: the first image you showed me of the mangled limo truck: I noticed not long ago on the news, since one of the families was suing the limo company and so the Schoharie "crash" came up once again, but I noticed they tried a new tactic as far as photos go: they took the mangled limo truck photo you showed me and "flashed" it across the screen during the news report so that you only saw it for -- I don't know, a few seconds? It was as if the image couldn't bear too much scrutiny, especially since, to those familiar with the case, it's a brand new photo never used before.

It's just like what's going on with the Coronavirus and hospitals. If the news HAD the kind of documentation that would scare the bejesus out of people -- hospitals filled with dying patients, bodies being carted away, even overflowing onto the streets where they await transport -- they of course would use this material. But the "planners" learned something very interesting along the way about propaganda: you don't even need the images. If you tell people a million times over there's a plague, and you have official looking people showing you all these charts, and having them talking about "mitigating" and "granular" such 'n such, and "flattening the curve" -- oh, and notice how they've inserted the word "surveillance" in such a way that we are meant to like the idea of surveillance now, since it's protecting us from this hideous virus -- then add to those things the sad "human interest" stories about people affected by the whole situation... so, yeah, if you have all that, they realized that's all you really need. You don't need "real" documentation!

But God help you if you hear of this "horrific" accident (that was the word they liked to use over and over again with Schoharie, which is interesting given the town itself sounds rather like "scary") and you say to yourself: 20 people killed in one automobile accident?? THIS I gotta see. Only, you don't ever "see" it. No matter how much you look into it, there's no real documentation, and the fake documentation they do provide doesn't add up.

I believe this is the "lone tire" shot they liked to use at the time. Or, news wise, you'd have a newscaster standing by the creek where the crash allegedly happened, with a cutaway shot that showed this lone tire. And, honestly, with an unprecedented crash in which twenty people are killed, this is all you really need:


images-4.jpg
 
What could be the reason to dress the killer in a police uniform at this time, when most are already overlaoded with fear from the corona1984. Do we need now to fear police officer or who they represent, our governing elite. Was this a shock to induce fear of people dress in uniform, fear of the autority.
 
Yes, that one's the silver SUV the limo crashed into on its way through the parking lot. The SUV was hit so hard, it instantly knocked dead two passers-by.


That's the limo. The back of it's on the left. Looks the same as the one I posted showing the vehicle being winched out of there.

On top of that, to advertise the "official" videos on Youtube talking about the accident, there were tiny thumbnail photos of horrific looking accidents that didn't even bear any resemblance to the conditions of the "crash" -- one showing a devastating limo crash that took place in the middle of a major highway --

That's normal. When you search for photos of this particular limo now, all sorts of images of crashed limos turn up.

It's just like what's going on with the Coronavirus and hospitals.

No it's not. In the case of hospitals without patients, we can agree that we both notice what's missing: lots of sick and dying people in hospitals. In the case of the Schoharie limo crash, I don't see your interpretation of the details.
 
What could be the reason to dress the killer in a police uniform at this time, when most are already overlaoded with fear from the corona1984. Do we need now to fear police officer or who they represent, our governing elite. Was this a shock to induce fear of people dress in uniform, fear of the autority.
I don't know, Laurentien2. But if you accept that we live under a form of govt that 'fits' with Lobaczewski's description of 'pathocracy', then a number of motivations are possible:

  • it was motivated by the fun of terrorizing people
  • it was motivated by opportunity to 'practice'
  • it was motivated for some 'socio-psychological' effect in the population

I had the thought that, perhaps, rural populations are likely to be less hystericized by COVID-19, so this is a means of 'corralling them'.

The problem with assessing motivation in these matters is that it's like looking into the mind of a psychopath to understand why he really does what he does; you'll turn mad yourself.
 
Yes, that one's the silver SUV the limo crashed into on its way through the parking lot. The SUV was hit so hard, it instantly knocked dead two passers-by.



That's the limo. The back of it's on the left. Looks the same as the one I posted showing the vehicle being winched out of there.



That's normal. When you search for photos of this particular limo now, all sorts of images of crashed limos turn up.



No it's not. In the case of hospitals without patients, we can agree that we both notice what's missing: lots of sick and dying people in hospitals. In the case of the Schoharie limo crash, I don't see your interpretation of the details.

The two photos I showed you were USED TO DOCUMENT THE CRASHED VEHICLE ITSELF -- in online articles, even on t.v.. Also, had there been a mangled limo photo like the most recent photo they are using, believe me they'd have used it at the time.

When I get my other computer online, I will see what I can add in the way of back-up.

As I said earlier, there was also a "body" problem with this crash.
 
That's normal. When you search for photos of this particular limo now, all sorts of images of crashed limos turn up.

There's nothing "normal" about it. It's another example of how "fake" images are used to manipulate the public mind. It's an embedded aspect of the "synthetic terror" trade -- which is why, to you, it now seems "normal."
 
There's nothing "normal" about it. It's another example of how "fake" images are used to manipulate the public mind. It's an embedded aspect of the "synthetic terror" trade -- which is why, to you, it now seems "normal."
To further clarify: I was talking about the thumbnails used on the Youtube videos on the Schoharie "crash" at the time of the incident, not google searches.
 
The limo involved in the Schoharie crash was mangled:
Passenger_side_of_the_vehicle_in_the_Schoharie_limousine_crash-1.jpg
View attachment 35649
62be8fd1-68e1-4dff-bc0e-6c2e2921bef8-large16x9_Schoharie.png

Again on this Schoharie business (and then I'm taking a nap!): I thought to put these two images together since it illustrates better the case I've been trying to make. Not only did the top image not exist at the time of the "crash," it in no way resembles the lack of damage shown in the bottom image, which was brought out not long after the "crash." See how in the top photo the fourth window [counting from the back] and its accompanying door are completely gone, which isn't at all the case in the bottom photo where the fourth window and its accompanying door are completely intact.

On a side note: notice the seeming pixilation at the front end of the vehicle in the bottom photo. There is a light above it, but what should be the reflection of that light on the vehicle still seems far too white and pixilated for it to be an untampered with area in the photo. As to what is being masked, and why... not sure. Perhaps it's an attempt to obscure a lack of damage.
 
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Again on this Schoharie business (and then I'm taking a nap!): I thought to put these two images together since it illustrates better the case I've been trying to make. Not only did the top image not exist at the time of the "crash,"

Yes, that's because it was taken after the vehicle was winched out of the creek into which it crashed. You're unlikely to find any close-up images from the crash scene depicting the vehicle itself because it is standard practice for the media not to do so - in part because emergency responders keep them back, in part because it's commonly understood that it's disrespectful to take footage for the purpose of public dissemination of a car accident, particularly one in which dead and badly broken bodies are inside and around the vehicle.

...it in no way resembles the lack of damage shown in the bottom image, which was brought out not long after the "crash." See how in the top photo the fourth window [counting from the back] and its accompanying door are completely gone, which isn't at all the case in the bottom photo where the fourth window and its accompanying door are completely intact.

Yes, I mentioned that earlier, and suggested it's likely because that fourth door was removed after the vehicle was retrieved and stored.

On a side note: notice the seeming pixilation at the front end of the vehicle in the bottom photo. There is a light above it, but what should be the reflection of that light on the vehicle still seems far too white and pixilated for it to be an untampered with area in the photo. As to what is being masked, and why... not sure. Perhaps it's an attempt to obscure a lack of damage.
Our view of the front (in profile) is obscured in the first photo by the bright flood-lights. I don't see why it would have been deliberately staged this way so as to hide something from public knowledge. To believe or suspect that, I would first have to have evidence or reasonable suspicion that something of particular importance regarding this case was being hidden from public knowledge.

You clearly see a lot more to this incident than I do, but may I ask you to refrain from further discussing the Schoharie incident on this thread? You may start a separate thread if you have more to share on that matter. Back to the atrocities committed in Nova Scotia...
 
Yes, that's because it was taken after the vehicle was winched out of the creek into which it crashed. You're unlikely to find any close-up images from the crash scene depicting the vehicle itself because it is standard practice for the media not to do so - in part because emergency responders keep them back, in part because it's commonly understood that it's disrespectful to take footage for the purpose of public dissemination of a car accident, particularly one in which dead and badly broken bodies are inside and around the vehicle.



Yes, I mentioned that earlier, and suggested it's likely because that fourth door was removed after the vehicle was retrieved and stored.


Our view of the front (in profile) is obscured in the first photo by the bright flood-lights. I don't see why it would have been deliberately staged this way so as to hide something from public knowledge. To believe or suspect that, I would first have to have evidence or reasonable suspicion that something of particular importance regarding this case was being hidden from public knowledge.

You clearly see a lot more to this incident than I do, but may I ask you to refrain from further discussing the Schoharie incident on this thread? You may start a separate thread if you have more to share on that matter. Back to the atrocities committed in Nova Scotia...
Yes, we should have another thread for this. Maybe there's a way to move the existing discussion to a new thread? There's one interview in particular I'm hoping to find which might even pique your interest, Niall, although I can't be sure of that since you haven't agreed with me on much of anything thus far!

Since you brought up some additional points, this post is just to respond in that vein. It seems only fair, after all.

With regard to the bottom photograph, I didn't say or imply it was "deliberately staged." I pointed out how the photograph is pixilated and overly white in that one area (as compared to the quality of the rest of the photograph). As to why it is like that, I suggested it could be to mask something in that photo (such as a lack of damage, I speculated). "Deliberately staged" is something altogether different. It would be to set up the shot. I'm talking about what seems to have been done to the shot after the fact. And since my working hypothesis is that all these images are "found" images, then it could be relevant in that context.

You know, Niall, the fact that you see those two photos as depicting the same vehicle is rather astonishing to me! We do see even what's right in front of our eyes entirely differently.

And no, I don't agree that in the age of the internet especially there wouldn't be photographs indicative of a very serious crash, which didn't at all exist at the time of the accident. As for protecting the families, were the completely random, extreme, car wreck thumbnail "teasers" on the Schoharie Youtube videos meant to protect these families?

Anyway, thank you, Niall, for a rigorous debate; and, yes, on to Nova Scotia...
 
Just to add to the picture here:

May 9th, 2020
Q: (L) Well... Any other questions?

(Niall) There was a major mass shooting in Canada two weeks ago in the middle of all of this. Mass shooting in Nova Scotia, officially it's one guy who killed 23 people, burned down 16 structures, 5 cars, killed two cops, and did it all in the space of 13 hours before finally being killed. I suppose the question is: Did he really do all of that alone?

A: No.

Q: (Joe) Well, the effect of that was that the Canadian government banned 1500 types of guns.

(L) It was set up just to do that.

(Joe) And it happened at a time when everybody was looking in the opposite direction because of coronavirus.

If anything else has been the Justin-governments tactics, nothing new, just like in Ottawa years before with PM Harper, and this time using the Privy Council to make an order in council - just like that.

The obfuscation of facts in the press in this case has been plain to see (with a legal case against the government over this), and here we have the National Post with an update, of sorts:

May 18, 2020
5:00 PM EDT
Nova Scotia mass shooting: New information about murder rampage delayed by government lawyers

Up to seven redacted RCMP documents were expected to be released Tuesday, but that number has now dropped sharply

Government lawyers admit they are already significantly behind the court’s schedule for releasing information about last month’s Nova Scotia shooting rampage, before they have even begun to do so.

In response to a legal challenge by media organizations for information regarding the worst spree killing in Canada’s history — the murder of 22 victims by a gunman masquerading as an RCMP officer — up to seven redacted RCMP documents were expected to be released Tuesday, according to a timetable set in court.

On Friday, however, Mark Covan, representing the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, notified a judge that only one warrant could be stripped of information that the Crown deems too sensitive in time for Tuesday’s hearing.

“The Crown has been working diligently on vetting the ITOs,” a letter from Covan says, referencing “Information to Obtain” documents that police file when seeking judicial authorization to conduct a search of someone’s property.

“Unfortunately, because of the volume, the structure of the ITOs and the need to consult, that process is moving more slowly than expected. We have identified one ITO that, we believe, is the most comprehensive and have focused our efforts on that document. We anticipate having it ready on the 19th, but the others will take longer to complete.”

There are expected to eventually be 20 applications for judicial authorizations of search warrants and production orders prepared by the RCMP in its investigation of the shootings, which began on April 18 and continued through the night and into the next day.

The warrants, many to search property owned by the gunman, Gabriel Wortman, 51, who was shot and killed by the RCMP, were executed at different times and are in different stages of being processed.

Case law says search warrant information — once executed and if items are seized by police — should be public information.

It is up to the government to justifyany ongoing secrecy” surrounding the contents of the warrants, David Coles, a lawyer representing the media consortium, which includes Postmedia, said at a hearing last week.

The Crown was expected to release on Tuesday redacted versions of the first batch of RCMP documents: four search warrants, two production orders and a more recently closed warrant, which Judge Laurie Halfpenny MacQuarrie collectively called “the Group of Seven.”

The documents are expected to be heavily redacted — censored of information the government wishes to keep secret — while lawyers continue to argue in court over what should ultimately be made public.

The judge called this the “first round of redactions” to be made.

The Crown’s slow progress significantly reduces the information set to be made available this week.

Covan said at the hearing on May 11 that the government needs to balance what’s to be released with “keeping investigative materials confidential.”

Mark Heerema, a lawyer representing the provincial prosecution service, said that even though Wortman is dead and can no longer face charges, prosecutors are “protecting that ongoing investigation,” as there is the “possibility that given this ongoing investigation, there may be other prosecutions which can emerge.”

Shauna MacDonald, another lawyer with the Nova Scotia public prosecution service, said at the May 11 hearing: “Redactions take a tremendous amount of time. There’s consultation with investigating officers, there’s work done by the Crown agencies, and both Crown agencies, with investigating officers.”

The hearings are being held by teleconference because of COVID-19 restrictions. The media’s legal challenge seeking more information regarding the shootings comes amid growing calls for increased transparency in the case and its prelude.

On Friday, a group of law professors at Dalhousie University wrote a letter to Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil calling for a public inquiry.

“In a modern democracy committed to state accountability, an internal investigation will not suffice. Independence, impartiality and transparency are essential components of maintaining public confidence in the administration of justice. Only a public inquiry can satisfy these requirements,” the letter says.

“The families of the victims, Nova Scotians and Canadians deserve a transparent, impartial and independent assessment of why and how this incident occurred.”

canada-crime_nova_scotia-e1589833385400.jpg
The office of denturist Gabriel Wortman, who police say went on a shooting spree killing multiple people, is seen in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada April 19, 2020. REUTERS/Sean Dewitt

The Nova Scotia RCMP continues its investigation of the shootings in a probe designated Operation H-Strong. (All RCMP operational projects in Nova Scotia start with the letter H, the force’s designation for the province).

Over 13 hours, Wortman, a denturist, went on a terrifying mobile shooting spree across northern Nova Scotia, dressed in an authentic RCMP uniform and driving an exact replica of an RCMP cruiser.

The violent rampage started with a domestic assault, when Wortman assaulted and held captive a woman in Portapique, about 135 kilometres north of Halifax. She managed to escape and hid overnight in a wooded area.

Police received the first 911 call at 10:01 on April 18, reporting a shooting at a nearby residence, RCMP said.

Wortman then set out in an unearned uniform and fake cruiser, leaving an outrageous and tragic path of carnage: setting fires to homes and killing their occupants, shooting passersby and people coming to help, killing an RCMP constable trying to stop him, pulling over cars and killing the people inside.

He knew some of his victims and others were seemingly random encounters, police said.

His victims included a police officer, a teacher, two nurses, two prison guards, a fellow denturist, business owners, a family including a 17-year-old daughter, neighbours and others.

“There are many areas of investigation as we continue to piece together the gunman’s movements, possible motivation and whether he received assistance leading up to the incidents,” the RCMP said in an investigation update last week.

The RCMP’s Behavioural Analysis Unit is conducting a psychological autopsy of the gunman. The intent is to gather insights into the reasons for his violent spree, including an analysis of his personality, past behaviour and how he related to others, the RCMP said.

Investigators say that when Wortman left the area of his home on April 18, he had two semi-automatic handguns and two semi-automatic rifles with him, all of them now recovered by police.

Police believe three of those guns were obtained in the United States and the RCMP is working with the Canada Border Services Agency to probe their cross-border transit, the RCMP said. The other gun was traced to an origin within Canada. The calibre of the weapons was not released.

“Determining where and how the gunman obtained the firearms is a central part of the investigation and we use this detailed information to verify the credibility of some of the information we receive,” the RCMP said. Police said that after Wortman killed RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson, he took her gun with him.

Police have also identified the source of the RCMP decals on the gunman’s replica police cruiser. The decals were created at a business without the permission of the business owner, and both the owner and the individual who made the decals are cooperating with police, the RCMP said.

Further, investigators believe Wortman used an accelerant to start the many fires he left behind. “We know the gunman had a significant supply of gasoline at his home in Portapique,” the RCMP said.

Investigators have spoken to 500 witnesses and are continuing to conduct interviews, the RCMP said. Surveillance video from businesses and homes has also been collected to track the gunman’s movements.

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A Ford Police Interceptor sedan with no markings, is parked at the Atlantic Denture Clinic in Dartmouth, N.S. on Monday, April 20, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Ground-penetrating radar was used to search under the ground at Wortman’s property in Portapique, but nothing of relevance was found.

Searches of 17 crime scenes from the rampage have now ended and all properties have been released to their owners.

Investigators still want to speak with anyone who “had a conflict with the gunman, whether professional or personal, at any time.” The RCMP said. Anyone with information is asked to call an RCMP tip line at 1-833-570-0121.

In a separate article by the National Post on the firearms:

snip said:
Gabriel Wortman, who police have said didn’t have a licence for the weapons, was shot and killed by RCMP officers April 19 outside a gas station in Enfield, N.S.

"didn’t have a licence for the weapons" resulted in the most mind-boggling banning of firearms imaginable - after reviewing the list they hit every manufacture with big black pens (remember that Canada has very strict firearms laws as it is). To make matters worse, there is confusion now as many are saying basic shotguns and hunting rifles are on the list. There will also be legal challenges and court cases, including the WTO. What a kerfuffle.

To describe this further, here is an email from the BC Wildlife Federation to the less than honorable Minister Blair:


May 8th, 2020
Dear Minister Blair,
I am writing to bring your attention to what I can only believe is an accidental error. We trust that once you become aware of this oversight, you will speedily move to make the appropriate corrections.
By including firearms used by millions of Canadian hunters and sport shooters, you not only violated your previous promise not to do so, but you inadvertently penalized millions of law-abiding firearms owners, both hunters and sport shooters, and destroyed hundreds of small Canadian businesses that sell firearms and other sporting equipment, all without increasing public safety. It serves no good public safety purpose to deliberately alienate one of the most law-abiding segments of our community.
Contrary to your promises made earlier, the recent ban on "assault-style firearms," inappropriately included a large number of sporting rifles and shotguns. For example, on 31 January 2020, a spokesperson in your office stated, "We … will not target guns designed for hunting. Hunters, farmers, and law-abiding recreational gun owners will be treated with fairness and respect as we work together to keep our communities safe."
https://thepostmillennial.com/bill-blairs-office-says-liberals-will-not-target-guns-designed-for-hunting/?fbclid=IwAR1f7jrgETtTG4JO3kJnsc_Ns1rBc4sHEronl018g3pjbaQ-UFs-CgDooKQ
The ban casts an incredibly wide net. Apparently, inadvertently, it ensnares a number of civilian rifles and shotguns that are widely used by hunters and sport shooters across Canada. Knowing that you are an honourable person, it is inconceivable for us to believe your office would intentionally ban hundreds of thousands of firearms used legitimately by millions of Canadians in a safe and responsible manner. If not rescinded, this would be a devastating blow to Canadian hunters and sport shooters as well as to the Olympic shooting sports.
Acting on behalf of 43,000 B. C. Wildlife Federation members, I request that you instruct your office to remove the many civilian rifles and shotguns that are on this list, that have been inadvertently prohibited through carelessly expediting the drafting of this Order-in-Council. It is inconceivable that it serves any public safety purpose to ban standard large-calibre hunting rifles and common semi-automatic rifles. The Ruger Mini-14 and Mini-30 that are banned are among the most common firearms in the country, used by hunters, sport shooters, and agriculturalists.The announcement of the new prohibitions was entitled, "a ban on assault-style weapons," although the ban casts an exceptionally wide net. To be sure, it includes firearms that resemble military firearms, which have been labelled "assault-style weapons," but it also includes an amazingly wide sample of firearms and militaria. In addition to banning common sporting firearms, the ban also includes: mortars, crew-served anti-tank weapons, missile launchers, small-bore rifles, Airsoft guns, a bizarre array of harmless contraptions also called "guns." The variety is truly mind-boggling.
https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/05/01/prime-minister-announces-ban-assault-style-firearms
Perhaps amusingly, it appears your government may have prohibited the beloved T-shirt launcher that is featured prominently at many baseball and basketball games as well as the dreaded potato gun. Whether or not this was intentional, Canada will not be safer for it, and sports fans may not be pleased. Perhaps the ban may have also intentionally eliminated the fireworks launchers that produce such awesome displays on Canada Day, although many Canadians will be disappointed. Your office has indeed cast a wide net – and all for public safety.
It might help educate your staff if I point out that gang violence is the most prominent threat to public safety in Canada, not licensed firearms owners, whether hunters, sport shooters, or Canadians who own firearms for historical, cultural, agricultural, or as part of their military or police service. According to Statistics Canada data, almost half (47%) of firearm homicides are gang related. Lawful firearm owners are rarely involved. Just 2% of accused murderers had a valid firearms license.
Licensed gun owners are much less likely to be murderous than other Canadians. As Professor Gary Mauser reported to the Senate of Canada, licensed gun owners had a homicide rate of 0.67 per 100,000 licensed gun owners over the 11-year period (2006-2016). In contrast, the average national homicide rate (including gun owners) was 2.12 per 100,000 adults during the same period.
As I'm confident you know, hunters are law-abiding and bring value to their communities.
Over 1.3 million Canadians, in all provinces and territories, have a hunting license. You may be surprised to learn that roughly half of Canada's hunters live in larger cities. Hunting spending in Canada totaled $5.9 billion in 2018. The resulting contribution to GDP was $4.1 billion. Hunting supported 33,000 jobs and generated just under $2 billion in labour revenue.
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/research/angling-hunting-trapping-and-sport-shooting
Many Canadian families and Indigenous peoples depend upon hunting to provide food for the family table through legal harvesting, with the added benefit of getting out in the wilderness, as well as spending time with family and friends.Hunters are the largest contributors to conservation, as the money they pay for licenses goes into securing conservation lands or funding projects to manage wildlife.
The ban may also catch shotguns used in trap and skeet as well as hunting. Millions of Canadians enjoy target sports and own these types of firearms, including Olympic athletes. An estimated 1.4 million Canadian target shooters spent over $2.6 billion in 2018. This includes shotgun sports, rifle and handgun target shooting. The target sports bring value to Canada and to the communities that host the meets, including tourism and supporting small businesses, often in small towns where the revenue is sorely needed. This spending boosted GDP by $1.8 billion, supported 14,000 jobs, and generated $868 million in labour revenue (2018).
Canada has a long and proud history of competitive marksmanship. Throughout the 20th Century and into the 21st, Canadians have volunteered to help protect the free world from aggression. It is important for Canadian national sovereignty that Canadian civilians be prepared to participate in military activities in times of national need. Times like world war II, Korean War, Viet Nam, and more recently, in Afghanistan.
To sum up, we trust that once you become aware of this oversight, you will speedily move to make the appropriate corrections. The ban casts too wide a net to be targeted for public safety. It serves no good public safety purpose to deliberately alienate a law-abiding segment of our community, all while spending billions of Canadian taxpayer dollars.

Yours in Conservation, 
Mr. Bill Bosch
President
BC Wildlife Federation

Copies To:


The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Premier of Canada
Mr. Joël Lightbound, Louis-Hébert, MP, Parliamentary Secretary of the Minister of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Rob Stewart, Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canda
Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus, MP, Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Standing Committee on Public Safety & National Security
Mr. Glen Motz, MP, Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner, Standing Committee on Public Safety & National Security
Mr. Bob Zimmer, MP, Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, Standing Committee on Indigenous & Northern Affairs
The Honourable John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia
The Honourable Mike Farnworth, MLA, Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General of the Province of BC
Executive Committee & Board of Directors of the BC Wildlife Federation
Gary Mauser, Firearms Committee Chair, BC Wildlife Federation
Doug Bancroft, Recreational Sports Shooting Committee Chair, BC Wildlife Federation
Alberta Fish & Game Association
Manitoba Wildlife Federation
New Brunswick Wildlife Federation
Northwest Territories Wildlife Federation
Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers & Hunters
Nunavut Wildlife Management Board
Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters
Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation
Yukon Fish & Game Association
Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights
National Firearms Association
Canadian Shooting Sports Association
 
As many of you probably heard already, there was a shooting incident in Vienna that's labelled as an Islamist terror attack. 3 people were killed and 15 injured. Neighbouring Germany and Czech Republic have introduced border checks in case the shooter attempts to flee the country.

First the society's "paranoia switch" was flipped by the terror threat. Then by the murderous virus. Now it's both. It looks like the PTB have adopted the same approach as shampoo producers: 2 in 1 for maximum efficiency :nuts:

 
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