The man who cut a trail of mayhem and death across northern Nova Scotia while driving a look-alike RCMP vehicle had openly boasted about his replica cruiser.

Donald Walker’s family hired Gabriel Wortman in the ’90s to work in their funeral home business before he switched careers to become a denturist.

Walker, a former alderman in Dartmouth, N.S., told the Star on Wednesday that Wortman had proudly shown him pictures of the vehicle.

“He didn’t hide this vehicle. This car was not like in a garage where he was secretly making it,” Walker said.

“I was well-aware of the police vehicle. He was very proud of that vehicle. He told me he wanted to go to car shows, take it there, show off. … My fun time is sailing boats. This was his fun thing.”

How he came to acquire the vehicle and parts, as well as an authentic RCMP uniform — which police have said he was wearing as he went on a weekend shooting rampage that left 22 people dead — are among the growing list of questions that investigators have not answered.

At a news conference Wednesday, as the RCMP declared that the killer had acted alone during the course of the crimes, they faced more intense questions about police decisions made over the weekend.

Among the top questions were when and how they chose to alert the public about the fleeing gunman who left behind a path of destruction at 16 crime scenes.

Chief Supt. Chris Leather said Wednesday police found out about the replica vehicle, as well as the uniform the suspect was wearing, from a “key witness” early Sunday morning between 7 and 8 a.m.

A series of tweets were sent out just after 10 a.m. informing the public of an active shooter who might be driving what appeared to be an RCMP vehicle and wearing an RCMP uniform.

Leather also disclosed Wednesday that the RCMP, which had only been using Twitter to provide updates to the public during the manhunt, were in the process of preparing an emergency alert that would typically appear on smartphones and televisions later Sunday morning, when the suspect was shot and killed by officers at a gas station in Enfield.

Leather attributed the delay to officials needing to locate the officers in charge in order to decide what the contents of the message would be.

He said police were also still investigating whether the shooter may have used his disguise to pull over drivers and execute them. Police also now say the killer acted alone, but they are looking into whether others may have assisted him before the shootings began.

Police say he was likely using unlicensed firearms, and investigators are trying find out how he obtained illegal weapons.

An expert in police-community relations in the United States said police are likely playing it “close to the vest” because they aren’t sure where the investigation will lead.

Lorenzo Boyd, assistant provost and director of the University of New Haven’s Center for Advanced Policing in Connecticut, said police need to release as much information as possible, but added some information could be withheld if officers think it could lead to a break in the case.

“But, the main objective of the police should be to reassure the public,” he said.

Even with the perpetrator dead, police may be trying to find out how he acquired the weapon used in the crime, which could involve another person, Boyd said.

In such a situation, he said police would be careful not to tip someone off and would withhold information about the weapon. Police may also be reluctant to divulge information at the scene because it could “become gospel” and harder to set the record straight later.

“At the scene, you don’t know what you don’t know,” Boyd said. “So, you don’t want to give any information that’s misleading or may tip off anyone that you’re looking for.”

Amid the scrutiny of authorities Wednesday, the identities of two more victims emerged.

Multiple social media accounts from relatives and a New Brunswick church shared their sadness at the news that Peter and Joy Bond, a couple who “were loved by their family, friends and community,” are among the dead.

The couple lived in Portapique, N.S., and had two sons, according to a fundraising page set up for their family. Bradley Monks wrote on April 20 that he had received word that the attacks were on his sister’s street, and the couple had not been heard from.

“God please let them be OK,” Monks wrote. Later in the week, he shared photos in their memory.

On April 20, granddaughter Tiffany wrote, “No words can describe how I feel at the moment,” and shared a photo of Joy and Peter. “I have lots of memories to hold onto. I know you both will be looking over us and your family.”

Meanwhile, Walker, Wortman’s former employer, echoed what many who knew the shooter have said in recent days.

“None of us saw the signs,” Walker said Wednesday, adding acquiring decommissioned police cars is not out of the ordinary.

“I would suggest to you there are a number of people that have bought these police cars — maybe not done as much as he’s done, but fixed them up to look more like the police car than they already did look.”

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Walker said Wortman acquired many items from a local auction house that sells Crown assets and used a local detail shop to apply the graphics and decals. He said Wortman told him last year that RCMP were aware of his replica vehicle and had advised him that if he planned to take it onto the highway he would need to transport it on a trailer.

The RCMP did not respond to a comment about whether they were aware of Wortman’s vehicle prior to this weekend’s rampage. But in an email, they said RCMP policy on disposal of uniforms and equipment “requires that uniform clothing items that are no longer serviceable or required by a member be condemned, destroyed or altered so that they cannot be identified or re-worn as an article of the RCMP uniform.”

“The policy also requires members to return kit and clothing items on charge/loan to them when they are released from special duty or assignment or terminating employment.”

Walker said he first got to know Wortman in the ’90s when he was hired to work at the family funeral home business, then known as J. Albert Walker Funeral Homes.

Walker said Wortman spent no more than a couple years with the business.

His duties included meeting with families and assisting them with funeral arrangements, setting up graves, as well as picking up bodies from the hospital or homes.

After working in the funeral business, Wortman went on to get his credentials to become a denturist.

Adam Tipert, chairman of the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, said that Wortman had completed a program at a local community college in 1995, and apprenticed, but never actually received his funeral director licence in the province.

Wortman had left Nova Scotia for New Brunswick and his file got transferred, said Tipert. He said that the records have been expunged in Nova Scotia since it’s been so many years.

A man who lived near Wortman’s denturist clinic and residence in Dartmouth told the Star Wednesday he and his family had known Wortman and his longtime girlfriend for many years. He said they were struggling to square the person they knew with the monster in the headlines.

Wortman performed carpentry work like a “master,” said the neighbour, who declined to be identified given the notoriety of the crime.

He said Wortman would invite him over to see his latest stone work, concrete work or carpentry work. One time, it was to show off a dazzling kitchen transformation that the neighbour said looked like it was out of a magazine.

It was clear he was a perfectionist. He had a garage with every conceivable tool.

“I was always so impressed by it. I never met a guy who could do so many things,” said the neighbour.

Many years ago, when there was a structure fire next door, the neighbour said Wortman acquired the property and turned it into a parking lot.

Wortman was also meticulous about the upkeep of the property. There’s a bus stop outside the clinic and the neighbour said he could always be seen picking up trash on the sidewalk.

The neighbour said he never saw the RCMP replica vehicle Wortman drove this weekend (Walker said it was stored at Wortman’s property in Portapique), but confirmed that Wortman kept a couple of stripped down Ford police vehicles in his driveway.

Media took pictures of one of the vehicles in the driveway Monday. By Tuesday, authorities had removed it.

When the neighbour asked Wortman why he liked that type of vehicle, Wortman replied it was for the “power.”

Wortman was the type of neighbour who went out of his way to honk his horn to wave at you if you hadn’t seen him in a couple months.

“If I look over there, I can still see him waving at me,” the neighbour said.

With files from Steve McKinley, Alex McKeen, Ted Fraser, Jeremy Nuttall and The Canadian Press

UPDATE — April 23, 2020 — This story has been updated to state that the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors says Gabriel Wortman had completed a community college program and apprenticed, but never actually received his funeral director licence in the province.

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