The man who fatally shot 16 people during a bloody rampage in Nova Scotia was 51-year-old denture-maker Gabriel Wortman, reports said Sunday.
Wortman went on a shooting spree in several towns while dressed as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer and driving a mocked-up RCMP vehicle, .
“The fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act,” RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said.
Wortman, who is listed as a denturist, was tracked down by police at a gas station. He later died. The cause of Wortman’s death was not revealed.
Authorities originally placed the death toll at 10, saying it would likely rise, before updating it to 16 — marking the deadliest mass shooting on Canadian soil.
Among the victims was RCMP officer Heidi Stevenson, a mother of two and 23-year veteran of the force. Another officer was also injured.
It was unclear what sparked the attack, which apparently began around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, when cops first received a call about “a person with firearms” in the tiny town of Portapique and the area went into lockdown.
A motive for the killings was not known on Sunday night.
“As a country, in moments like these, we come together to support one another. Together we will mourn with the families of the victims, and help them get through this difficult time,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.