From the Associated Press . . .
A suspect in an active shooter investigation was arrested Sunday at a gas station in Nova Scotia, after police said there were “multiple victims” in an incident that began in a small coastal village where frightened local residents took cover in their basements overnight.
Police didn’t immediately say how many victims there were, or the nature of their injuries.
A man identified by police as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the Enfield, Nova Scotia, gas station, northwest of downtown Halifax.
By late morning, there were half a dozen police vehicles at the scene. Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps, and a large silver-colored SUV was being investigated by police.
Witnesses saw a body lying at the gas station. Police did not immediately comment on the identity.
“This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province’s history,” Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil. He said it was an additional “heavy burden” amid efforts to contain the new coronavirus, and that police will announce further details later.
The incident started in the small, rural town of Portapique, with police advising residents to lock their homes and stay in their basements.
Several building fires were reported by residents as well, but police didn’t immediately confirm details.
Police stated earlier Sunday the suspect was driving a car that looked like a police vehicle, but later said he was “believed to be driving a small, silver Chevrolet SUV,” travelling southbound on a highway. They said he is not an RCMP employee or officer.
Cpl. Lisa Croteau, a spokeswoman with the provincial force, said police received a call about “a person with firearms” at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday and the investigation “evolved into an active shooting investigation.”
“My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
Christine Mills, a resident of the town, said it had been a frightening night for the small town, with armed officers patrolling the streets. In the morning, helicopters flew overhead searching for the suspect.
“I feel better now to know he’s in custody,″ Mills said. “It’s nerve-wracking because you don’t know if somebody has lost their mind and is going to beat in your front door.”
Tom Taggart, a lawmaker who represents the Portapique area in the Municipality of Colchester, said the quiet community has been shaken.
“This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable,″ Taggart said by phone from his home in Bass River, near the lockdown area.
RCMP Cpl. Lisa Croteau confirmed a tweet saying there are “multiple victims” but could not provide a number or say whether any people had been killed.
The RCMP posted an update on Twitter just after 10:15 a.m., warning that the male suspect was in the Debert and Central Oslow area and may be dressed as a police officer in a vehicle resembling a police car.
A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP matches video footage of a man being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014.
Mills also said that Wortman was known locally as a denturist who divided his time between a residence in Halifax and a residence in Portapique.
Taggart said he didn’t know Wortman well, but spoke to him a few times when he telephoned about municipal issues.
Taggart described knowing Wortman’s “lovely big home” on Portapique Beach Road. He said Wortman owned a few other properties and was believed to divide his time between Portapique and his business in Dartmouth.
She said some people were evacuated.
” a person with firearms “. More of the brain washing showing thru.
So a guy walks into a bar with a gun, or was it a gun walks into a bar with a guy……either way the guy was with a gun.
I guess you missed the part where he was shooting at people.
This article has to be wrong… there can’t be mass shootings in Canada because of their common sense gun control laws… I mean come on they completely outlawed AP-79’s which are obviously military weapons with their infinity capacity clipazines that can fire 8,000,000 rounds of DD214’s (you know the bullets that kill you twice) a second in full semi auto and automatically target minorities.
Obviously this happened in some redneck backwater town full of uneducated orange man voters who sell guns to children without a background check or waiting period.
I mean come on that HAS to be the case because it’s what Rachel maddow and Jimmy Kimmel told us.
/end sarcasm
Truth.
About.
Guns.
National Post (Canada) is reporting the alleged shooter as “deceased” along with an RCMP officer as well as other victims who are not identified.
Fake news. Mass shootings only happen in the US. Or so I’m told.
Agreed!! We were assured that this was unpossible in Canada!!!
Blame Canada.
They should create a licensing and registration system, for gun owners and guns respectively. That would have prevented something like this.
With their national health system, all the crazies are cared for. With their model, one-word-commonsense gun control, there are no evil fully semi automatic weapons of war with upgoing shoulder thingies.
This must be a plot to reban marajuana!
“police advising residents to lock their doors”
For those who don’t know, most Canadians don’t lock their doors.
The only Canadians that surprise Esoteric Inanity anymore are the ones from Quebec.
I grew up in a city of 50,000 in southern Ontario. Last thing before going to bed every night was to verify that all doors were locked. In the US, many burglars get in through unlocked doors.
To stay home, until the murderer was caught or killed, was good advice. Going to the basement might be excessive but it means you won’t catch a round that comes through the wall. What I don’t understand is hiding in fear. This is a rural area and many Canadians hunt. Why not load up the hunting gun and keep it handy? Even birdshot to the face would be effective at indoor distances. As much as Canadian prosecutors dislike self defense, I can’t see them going after a homeowner for taking out this guy.
It’s been a long time since I heard of someone whimpering, “I never thought it could happen here.”
When creepy shit’s happenin’ and there’s a murderer on the loose, the last thing one should do, is go to the basement.
Yeah, being in the basement makes it unlikely a person will catch a stray round. But if the dirtbag comes in there is no place to retreat. Of course if they are armed a would be killer has to pass through a very tight field of fire to get at them.
Esoteric Inanity has seen the slasher flicks, the dismemberin’ always goes on in da basement.
By law, Canuckistanis are required to keep firearms behind “at least two locks” and stored unloaded. The RCMP can actually enter your house, unannounced, and check if you have stored your firearms according to the law.
They can also get their asses shot off in the attempt, but of course the facts would never be released once the victim was dead.
Just once, wouldn’t ya like to hear a cop advising residents to lock their doors and load their guns?
Social distancing people-It makes for lower casualty counts from airborne contagions and crazy Canucks alike.
I have a couple Canuck fakebook friend…look for dips#it Trudeau to become even more despotic(as he suckles the Chinese teat). Honestly saw death threats against “him”. I’ve nothing on the newz.
Hide in your basement. That way if the guy decides to set fire to your house he won’t be interfered with.
Ohh he was a ‘loonie ya betcha!”
I thought only in the US this happened?
Is this crazy day or something where crimes like this happen in gun ban nations? The gun ban laws or the gun free zone or nation signs should have stopped this from even happening!
A lot of words and very little details.
A shooting happened. We got him. Now move along.
Yeah go hide in the basement like children. If the looney is breaking into your house, you want to be hiding in the basement? The Canadians have lost it!!!
…RUN!….HIDE!….seems to be the appropriate response up there….
If it turns out the gun came from the US the Canadians will have a shit fit.
A dentist goes postal, and Dudley Do-Right’s on the prowl, but not for Snidely Whiplash, eh?
A post-it goes dental, and Snudley Whip-right is on the patrol, but not for Didely Do-lash. It’s a strange world we live in these days. Everything’s backwards.
Oh that’s good, like Mad Libs!!!
Damn, you must be old as dirt! Oh wait….so am I.
“This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable”
I had the same thought with the Parkland Stoman Douglas shooting (for those that don’t know, Parkland FL is a fairly affluent and relatively safe city in South Florida).
Just goes to show you this can happen anywhere at anytime. Be prepared and vigilant.
Get ready for more RCMP tyranny, because we just need one more law, rule, or regulation to remove all risk from life. I’m glad I don’t have to cower in fear in my basement, as I have arms suitable for 99% of all bad situations. It must suck to be at the total mercy and competence of the state for self protection.
I had never seen the term “denturist” before. Going to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia’s website I learned that “They are healthcare professionals specifically educated and trained to manufacture, fit, and service dentures and other removable oral appliances.” Perhaps it is a Canadian idiom?
Heck, I don’t have a basement..to be fair I live in a orange dirt/clay area so true basements are not so common. Above ground garages are though…Think I’ll shelter where I have unobstructed LOS.
Canadians are odd.
The tops of their heads are hinged so they flop when they talk. Odd.
So much for gun control!
I didn’t every single post above, so apologies if I post redundant items.
First, this doesn’t appear to be a “mass shooting”. This perp was a Spree Killer.
Second, all mass shootings (which this wasnt) are perpetrated by either Filthy Mohammedan Savages killing non-Mohammedans for their Satan/ Allah who commands it OR by leftists who are depressives on SSRI drugs.
Spree Killers have three types of peeps. The two types listed above and the third type, violent criminals on a rampage.
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