11.27°C Vancouver

May 11, 2020 4:39 PM -

Nova Scotia mass killer's semi-automatic guns believed to have come from U.S.

Share On
nova-scotia-mass-killers-semi-automatic-guns-believed-to-have-come-from-u-s
An RCMP officer talks with a local resident before escorting them home at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

The RCMP says three of the four semi-automatic weapons used by a gunman during last month's mass shooting in Nova Scotia are believed to have come from the United States.

The federal force says in a news release today that only one of the guns could be traced back to a source in Canada.

The Mounties are still declining to reveal the brand or the calibre of the weapons, two handguns and two rifles used during the April 18-19 rampage that killed 22 people in five communities around the province.

Gabriel Wortman, who police have said didn't have a licence for the weapons, was shot and killed by RCMP officers April 19 outside a gas station in Enfield, N.S. Investigators also say they have identified the supplier of materials used to create the RCMP decals that were on the gunman's replica patrol car, and they say the decals were created without the permission of the business owner.

In addition, the RCMP says it has specialists conducting a psychological autopsy of the gunman, with the goal of gaining insight into why he committed the murders.

Regarding a series of fires set by the gunman, investigators say they believe he used an accelerant, noting he had a significant supply of gasoline at his home in Portapique.

Latest news

b-c-seeks-court-stay-in-cowichan-tribes-aboriginal-title-case-amid-concerns-from-richmond-residents
BCOct 30, 2025

B.C. seeks court stay in Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title case amid concerns from Richmond residents

Premier David Eby says the British Columbia government will ask the courts to delay implementation of a ruling that recognized Aboriginal title for the Cowichan Tribes over land in Richmond. The province is requesting a stay while the B.C. Court of Appeal reviews the landmark decision, which has raised questions about its impact on private land ownership. In August, the B.C. Supreme Court declared that the Cowichan Tribes hold Aboriginal title to about 750 acres along the Fraser River. The court found that Crown grants of private titles on that land were an unjustified infringement of Cowichan
police-investigate-shots-fired-at-surrey-business
CanadaOct 29, 2025

Police probe overnight shooting that damaged Surrey business

Police in Surrey are investigating after gunfire caused property damage to a business in the city’s South Surrey area earlier this week. Surrey Police Service (SPS) and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit (SPOSU) say the incident was reported around 11:35 a.m. on October 28. Officers were called to a business in the 15200 block of Croydon Drive, where they confirmed that the building’s exterior had been struck by bullets. Investigators believe the shooting took place sometime between 8:30 p.m. on October 27 and 8:30 a.m. the next morning. No one was inside the business at th
drug-related-offences-rise-nationally-for-first-time-in-12-years-statcan
CanadaOct 29, 2025

Drug-related offences rise nationally for first time in 12 years – StatCan

Statistics Canada says the country’s rate of police-reported drug crime has increased for the first time in more than a decade, marking a 13 per cent jump between 2023 and 2024. The new data shows the rise was driven by higher numbers of possession and trafficking charges involving cannabis, cocaine and opioids other than heroin. Despite the recent uptick, the national rate remains well below its historical peak. The 2024 figure stood at 128 incidents per 100,000 people – down 61 per cent from a high of 330 in 2011. The Northwest Territories recorded the highest rate of drug crime last yea
bc-government-calls-emergency-meeting-with-federal-ministers
BCOct 29, 2025

BC government calls emergency meeting with federal ministers

The BC government is calling an emergency meeting with federal ministers in Vancouver next week, also known as the Forestry Sector Summit, in light of the trade dispute with the US and the recent increase in tariffs on softwood, with Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar inviting federal ministers Dominique LeBlanc and Melanie Joly to attend. The BC government intends to seek financial assistance from the federal government to help the struggling forestry sector and combat the tariffs. Parmar said that forestry for us in BC is like the auto sector and the steel sector, which the government should a
IndiaOct 29, 2025

CBI books Punjab DIG HS Bhullar in fresh case for amassing disproportionate assets

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh case against arrested Punjab IPS officer Harcharan Singh Bhullar for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets running into several crores, far beyond his known sources of income. The registration of this second case follows a detailed written complaint dated October 29 by CBI Inspector Sonal Mishra, who cited the recovery of massive undeclared wealth from Bhullar’s residence during searches earlier this month.

Related News