April 20, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Gabriel Wortman, 51 years old, owned a successful denture clinic in Dartmouth and 2 large houses in Portapique, but Nova Scotia police identified he killed at least 16 people on April 18 and 19. The motive behind the mass shooting remains unclear and still under investigation.

According to reports from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the gunman disguised himself as a police officer wearing RCMP uniform and drove a vehicle resembling a police car. The mass killing went on a 12-hour shooting rampage at several crime scenes beginning in Portapique and stretching to Enfield where the suspect was blocked at the truck stop. RCMP police were first responded to emergency calls on the night of April 18 and found several casualties inside and outside of the property in Portapique. Wortman then drove to his home and set several houses on fire while shooting people as they ran out of their homes.

RCMP continued pursuing Wortman for hours. Finally, Wortman was reportedly killed in the shootout by the RCMP police. One female police officer, a mother of two, who had served for 23 years, was among the 16 victims killed.

The Nova Scotia premier, Stephen McNeil, described it as the most senseless violence in the province, causing extra heavy burden to control the Covid-19. 

Photo:Webshot.