At Least 22 Dead

Brian Teepell - Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Nova Scotia have confirmed that at least 22 people, including an RCMP officer, have been killed in a mass shooting in the province between late Saturday evening and late morning on Sunday. Police advised that the investigation is in the very early stages and that number of deaths may increase. This is thought to be the worst mass shooting in Canadian history.

The Premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil, addressed the situation at the beginning of Sunday's COVID-19 press conference. He said, “Words cannot console the families affected by what has transpired over the last 24 hours. To the families of the victims and to those who are still feeling afraid, my heart goes out to you. Know that all Nova Scotians are with you. This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in Nova Scotia's history. We are all in shock that such a thing could happen here in Nova Scotia, and it´s a heavy burden to bury on top of COVID-19. But now, more than ever, we must stay strong together."

In Ottawa, the nation's capital, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau had these words to say during his daily COVID-19 press conference, "My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation,“ said Trudeau. “I want to thank the police for their hard work and people for cooperating with authorities.“ Prime Minister Trudeau also requested that the media not publish the identity or photographs of the gunman out of respect for the victims in this tragedy.

Queen Elizabeth II sent the following statement on the Royal Family Twitter account, " Prince Philip and I have been deeply saddened by the appalling events in Nova Scotia, and we send our condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who have lost their lives. I also pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other police services who selflessly responded to these devastating attacks and to the emergency services who are supporting those who have been injured and affected. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Nova Scotia and all Canadians at this tragic time."

This horrific tragedy began on the late evening of Saturday, April 18th, when RCMP were called to investigate reports of a man with firearms in the small community of Portapique, Nova Scotia.  There, officers found numerous people dead, both inside and outside of a  property, but the shooter was gone. A manhunt lasting roughly 12 hours ensued leaving 16 separate crime scenes with more dead and injured. The manhunt ended just before noon on Sunday when police tracked down the suspect at a truck stop about 37 km north of Halifax, where police attempted to take the suspect into custody and the suspect was fatally shot in the process.

The RCMP has reported that some of the victims appear to be known to the shooter, but others seem to be random and have no connection to the suspect. The RCMP also has said that the number of fatalities may rise as all crime scenes have not yet been fully processed. Some of the crime scenes that are being processed contain houses that had been burned to the ground and cars that had been set on fire.

There are still many questions about this deadly situation that had unfolded in Nova Scotia over the past weekend. While some of the victims have been identified, others had yet to be named. For this reason, out of respect for all victims and their families, we will hold off on releasing the identities until we have a complete list which is expected to be available in the coming days. It has been reported that the victims include an RCMP member, a teacher, a nurse, a retired fireman and two correction officers. We will continue to provide coverage as new information becomes available.