Nova Scotia death toll continues to rise The number of victims in what was already the worst mass shooting in Canadian history is now 19 and expected to rise.

HALIFAX (news 1130) — The number of victims in what was already the worst mass shooting in Canadian history is now in excess of 19 and expected to rise.

RCMP Chief Insp. Chris Leather said Monday during a briefing that investigators are continuing to piece together what occurred Sunday at 16 separate crime scenes in central and northern Nova Scotia.

He added five of the crime scenes involve burned-out buildings, and officers expect more bodies to be found inside.


Leather also said some of the victims were know to the killer, while others who were targeted did not know him.

The 12-hour killing spree ended Sunday when RCMP officers took out the lone suspect, disguised as a police officer, at a gas station north of Halifax.

Among those killed was RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the force.

“We have lost one of our own while she was protecting others,” Leather said. “This is the definition of a true hero.”


He also offered condolences to the families and loved ones of all the victims.

The Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union has also confirmed that Lisa McCully — an elementary school teacher in Delbert — was among those killed in the attack.

Darcy Dobson posted on Facebook that her mother Heather O’Brien, a nurse from Truro, N.S., was also among the dead.

Officials identified the suspect as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, who wore a police uniform at one point and drove a car resembling a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser.

Authorities have not provided a motive for the killings, but said they believe he acted alone.


Meanwhile, a second RCMP officer shot during the rampage has been released from hospital.

Const. Chad Morrison, an 11-year veteran of the RCMP, is now recovering at home from his gunshot wounds, said Leather.

“This is obviously good news and we will be there to provide support throughout the member’s recovery process,” he added.

RCMP were initially called to reports of a man with firearms in the small community of Portapique, N.S., on Saturday night.

There, officers found numerous people dead or wounded, both inside and outside a property. But by the time police arrived, the shooter was gone.

An hours-long manhunt and eventual police chase ensued across a swath of the Maritime province, with officers providing periodic updates about the suspect’s whereabouts.

Leather said previously the killings appeared to be, “at least in part, very random in nature.”


A virtual vigil for all the victims is being planned for Facebook on Friday.