Deadliest shooting rampage in Canadian history leaves 16 dead

Police officers in Nova Scotia.
(Image credit: Tim Krochak/AFP via Getty Images)

At least 16 people were killed on Sunday after a gunman dressed like a police officer went on a shooting spree across several communities in Nova Scotia, Canada.

This is the deadliest such attack in Canadian history. One of the victims is Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and mother of two. Authorities said the suspect, identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, is also dead.

Police were first alerted to a shooting at a residence in Portapique, about 60 miles north of Halifax, where several bodies were found inside and outside of the house. From there, police pursued the suspect through several other communities, and are investigating "multiple crime scenes." The chase ended at a gas station in Enfield.

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Authorities said they believe the suspect did target the victims at the Portapique home, even though several of them did not know him, but his later attacks were random. RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather said the suspect used a gun and possibly "other methods" during his rampage, as several homes in the Portapique area were set on fire. Because there are so many different crime scenes, police said the death toll could rise.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.