Death toll rises to 22 in Canada's worst mass shooting
Flags of Nova Scotia and Canada fly at half-staff outside the Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 19, 2020.
The death toll has risen to 22 in the shooting in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Tuesday afternoon.
In a news release, Nova Scotia RCMP confirmed an additional four victims of the mass shooting, bringing the total death toll to 22, excluding the gunman. The shooting is the deadliest mass killing in Canadian history.
The gunman, identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, was killed on Sunday noon after police intercepted him near a gas station. He was wearing an authentic police uniform and driving a vehicle that resembled a police car.
The RCMP searched for the gunman for about 12 hours from late Saturday night into Sunday morning as he drove more than 150 kilometers along rural roads and highways.
It will take days to unravel the lone suspect's violent path across the province as police probe 16 different crime scenes, including the five structure fires where RCMP have found human remains.
The RCMP said they are focused on learning more about this tragedy, including accurate victim information and whether others may have aided the suspect.
Except a 17-year-old girl, the 22 victims were adults, including an RCMP woman and a pregnant woman who was killed on the side of the road.
Others were injured in the shooting, including a police officer.
Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair urged Canadians to be patient and wait for accurate information to be released from the RCMP.
At his press conference on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the tragedy reinforces the need for gun control legislation in the country. "We're now looking for right way and right moment to bring it forward."
