Gunman Disguised as Cop Kills at least 16 in Canada

Nova Scotia, April 20, 2020:

Canadian police have said that a gunman dressed as a cop killed at least 16 people in what has been termed as the deadliest shooting in Canadian history. The incident took place in the province of Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia police has identified 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman as the shooter and added that he might have been wearing a police uniform. Canadian police says that although the shooter initially had a "motivation", it later turned to "randomness".

"There's one difference between his car and our Royal Canadian Mounted Police vehicles: the car # [registration plate]. The suspect's car is 28B11, behind rear passenger window. If you see 28B11 call 911 immediately," the police tweeted on Sunday.

According to police reports, the shooting rampage lasted for 12 hours and ended with the death of the gunman.

ALSO READ: Migrant Labourers in the Lakhs Stranded across India Struggle to Survive Lockdown, Yearn for Home

The gunman, who was initially driving what appeared to be a police car shot several people across the province, and on Sunday, police said they were trying to ascertain how many people had died and added that there might be more victims. They further informed that Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable (RCMP) Heidi Stevenson, who had served in the force for 23 years, was among those killed.

Nova Scotia RCMP Commanding Officer, Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman said in a Facebook post: "Heidi answered the call of duty and lost her life while protecting those she served", adding, "two children have lost their mother and a husband his wife. Parents lost their daughter and countless others lost an incredible friend and colleague."

Residents in the rural town of Portapique had been advised to lock themselves indoors after the attack began on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has described the shooting as "a terrible situation".

This is the deadliest shooting incident in the history of Canada, which has strict gun laws. In 1989, a college shooting in Quebec left 14 women dead after the killer sent all the men out of the classroom and opened fire.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.