The toll from the worst mass shooting in Canada’s modern history, a 14-hour rampage over the weekend, has risen to 22 from 19, police say.
The victims include a 17-year-old, a pregnant healthcare worker and a veteran Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer.
Authorities are yet to determine a motive for the crime. Police say the gunman knew some of the victims.
The gunman, a 51-year-old man, was killed in a confrontation with police.
During the attack he wore an authentic RCMP police uniform and drove a “look-alike” police vehicle, authorities said.
Nova Scotia RCMP updated the death toll from the attack in a statement on Tuesday along with a rough timeline of the events.
Police had previously warned the number of dead could rise as they searched the 16 separate crime scenes across north and central Nova Scotia.
Their work was also slowed by the fact there were a number of fires started – about five, according to police. They had to search through the debris of those badly burnt-out homes for remains.
The full investigation is likely to take months.
The attack began around 22:30 on Saturday (01:30 GMT) in the rural beachside community of Portapique.
Police received multiple calls to the emergency services reporting gunshots, and responders found “several casualties inside and outside of a home” but no suspect.
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They also discovered “multiple sites in the immediate area, including structures and vehicles that were on fire”.
The suspect’s vehicle was found at the crime scene where 23-year RCMP veteran Const Heid was killed in the line of duty.
Victims were also found in the communities of Wentworth, Debert, Shubenacadie/Milford and Enfield, where police shot the gunman dead.
Little is known about what motivated the suspect, Gabriel Wortman, or why he chose his victims.
Among the dead were a teacher, a home care nurse working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, and an RCMP officer
.
A national virtual vigil will be held this week to honour the victims of the shooting, as the province is locked-down due to the virus.
Many other virtual vigils have since sprung up on social media as people mourn the tragedy.
BBC
