Not less than 16 people have been killed in what was termed Canada's worst Canadian mass shooting since 1989 after a gunman attacked Nova Scotia. A man disguised as a police officer went on a shooting rampage in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Sunday, killing 15 people and a police officer.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spokesman Daniel Brien, an officer was injured while pursuing the suspect, a 23-year veteran of the force alongside 16 others were killed in addition to the suspect. Suspect whom Police identified as Gabriel Wortman, 51, wore a police uniform and made his car look like an RCMP vehicle so as to enable him to commit the crime.
The chief superintendent of the Nova Scotia RCMP, Chris Leather, said added that the death toll surpasses the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, where a gunman killed 14 women before killing himself. "This was a quickly evolving situation and a chaotic scene," said Leather, who described at least part of the assault as "very random in nature. He moved across the northern part of the province and committed, it would appear, several homicides."
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said "This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province's history,"
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement Sunday saying he was saddened to hear about the "senseless violence" in the Atlantic province.
"Our hearts go out to the people who have lost loved ones, and to the RCMP family mourning a fallen officer," Trudeau said. "I also hope for a full recovery for the people who were injured, including one RCMP member who is in hospital being treated for non-life-threatening injuries."
