Nova Scotia RCMP expect the death toll of Canada’s deadliest mass shooting to rise in the coming days.
At a news conference in Dartmouth Monday afternoon, Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said at least 19 innocent people lost their lives in a 12-hour rampage that started in Portapique and ended in Enfield on Sunday.
Leather said RCMP officers were investigating 16 crime scenes in Portapique and other communities in central and northern Nova Scotia.
“We’ve identified all the crime scenes, however, we’ve been unable to fully examine the crime scenes because, for instance, we have had five structure fires, most of those being residences, and we believe there may be victims still within the remains of those homes,” he said.
“So that part of the investigation is still very much ongoing, and again, speaks to why we don’t have a final total because we expect that to rise in the coming days.”
All of the victims identified so far are adults.
Leather said some of the victims were known to the shooter, while others appeared to be chosen at random.
“Until we have confirmation from the medical examiner that certain victims have been identified, we’re unable to formally release the names and information of the deceased and that would include family members,” Leather said when asked why some family members who haven’t heard from those in the Portapique area haven’t been contacted.
At a news conference in Halifax on Monday, Dr. Robert Strang said although people want to come together and mourn as a community, “We cannot let our guard down and create even more challenges by having COVID-19 spread further.”
“When COVID-19 has passed and it will, we can come together as a province, stronger than ever, to remember the victims of yesterday’s tragedy in ways that we are accustomed to,” Strang said.
RCMP have also been notified that some people may have been injured during the 12-hour event, but haven’t yet confirmed the information.
Const. Chad Morrison, an 11-year veteran with RCMP who was shot in Sunday’s pursuit, is now recovering at home.
A timeline with specific locations of what happened is expected to be produced in the coming days, but the investigation still has a long way to go, Leather said.
“We will be in this for months to come, I am sure,” he said.
At a news conference in Ottawa on Monday, RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki said officials will not be able to provide information on the weapons used, or if they were obtained legally, until they are able to piece together the cause of each death and which weapons were used at the different scenes.
With the shooter dead, many questions are left unanswered.
A mock police car and RCMP uniform allowed the suspect “to move around the province undetected” and be “steps ahead of our investigators,” Leather said. Lucki said investigators are working to track the origin of “every piece” of the car and uniform, but so far all the items examined appear to be replicas.
Lucki said to date, no note or message from the suspect has been located.
RCMP isn’t looking for any other suspects at this time.
In addition to the suspect’s death being referred to the Serious Incident Response Team, RCMP has also referred two other incidents to Nova Scotia’s police watchdog.
In a news release Monday evening, SIRT said it is investigating "the discharge of firearms by two members of the RCMP."
Lucki said wherever there is a use of force by police an investigation must occur, but confirmed that no innocent civilians were harmed.
With files from Francis Campbell and Andrea Gunn
