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By the morning, according to public alerts from police, the attention of the search had shifted back to a campground near Portapique. Soon after, however, police cautioned Wortman was far on the other side the regional centre of Truro, and gave the impression he was heading south toward Halifax.

At first he was reported to be in the fake police cruiser, a photo of which police released showing the convincing replica in a workshop. Soon after he was said to be driving a silver SUV.

Police appear to have tried to take him down late Sunday morning in a Sobey’s plaza near Shubenacadie, where shopkeepers were ordered to shelter in place. An image posted by the Halifax Chronicle Herald, taken by someone at the scene, showed two cars fully consumed with fire throwing up clouds of smoke.

Photo by The Canadian Press

It was just south of here that the search came to its end on a gas station tarmac, where a silver SUV remained on Sunday.

Paula Hanrahan left her work near this gas station in Enfield, N.S., Sunday morning because she was concerned with the safety of her step-granddaughter who lives in Portapique.

She pulled over to the side of the road when she saw dozens of police officers, decked out in black vests, surround the SUV. One officer was on one knee on top of the vehicle and had his assault rifle pointed into the car through the sunroof. Several others were laying down on their stomachs on the pavement with their rifles at the ready and appeared to be aiming at the front door of the Big Stop. Overhead, she saw a helicopter fly by. Sirens blared in the distance.