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Before blazing a trail of carnage across Nova Scotia, the man behind one of Canada’s worst mass killings attacked his longtime girlfriend — a story domestic violence experts say is eerily familiar.

Police say this assault was potentially the “catalyst” for the horrific murder spree that claimed 22 victims last week.

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Many mass killings begin with abuse of the people closest to home, say researchers and advocates. To prevent future tragedy, they say authorities need to recognize the threat domestic violence poses to the public.

“When women are in danger in our community, all men, women and children are in danger,” said Peter Jaffe, a psychologist who has studied violence against women and children for 40 years.

“It’s not just an issue of violence against women. It usually suggests a much broader pattern of concern about the perpetrator.”

The Western University professor co-authored a study for the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative that analysed 418 cases of domestic homicide in Canada between 2010 and 2015. Researchers found 13 per cent of cases involved the homicide of third parties, including family members, new partners and bystanders.