On April 18th Canada was struck by the deadliest mass killing in 30 years. A man identified as 51-year-old denturist Gabriel Wortman began to shoot people on the streets of Portapique, a town in Nova Scotia. He was wearing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer uniform, and even remodeled his silver SUV so it would look like a police vehicle.
The shooting began around 10:30 p.m. when a witness reported “a man with firearms” in the area. The authorities began the chase, warning the local residents to seek shelter inside their basements. Eventually the attacker was cornered at an Enfield gas station and engaged in a firefight with the police, killing Constable Heidi Stevenson, a mother of two who served in the Canadian forces for 23 years, The Mercury News reports. Two officers were wounded.
Gabriel Wortman was pronounced dead at the scene; the cause of death is currently unknown. It is believed that he was shot by the police.
On April 19th the authorities announced that the number of victims reached 13, and can still grow. Several dead bodies were found in a single house in Portapique.
It is believed that Wortman was also responsible for several arsons in Portapique as well.
The RCMP representatives said that Wortman actually committed several murders outside the town, where he was residing part-time. His permanent residence was in Dartmouth, a city near Halifax.
Gabriel Wortman’s motives for the horrific murder rampage are still unknown, but the authorities believe it was most likely a premeditated act.
