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Bloodbath with at least 17 deaths in Canada
The | Reading time: 2 minutes.
The persecution in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia ended at a gas station
Credit: dpa / Tim Krochak
A gunman shot at least 16 people in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia in twelve hours, including a police officer. The author is also dead.
MAt least 16 people have died in an alleged wave of killings in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. A police officer is also among the victims, as investigators announced at a press conference on Sunday night (local time).
The investigation was at an early stage, Officer Chris Leather said. The alleged gunman, a 51-year-old man, was brought in by police on Sunday afternoon. He was killed in the process.
The victims were found at various crime scenes in the Atlantic province of eastern Canada. In a residential building, investigators found several dead on Sunday night. Leather spoke of a “chaotic” scene. Elsewhere, the property was set on fire.
There is still no possible reason. Commissioner Leather said that many of the victims did not know the alleged perpetrator. “The fact that this person had a uniform and a police car at their disposal does not suggest that it was a coincidence.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had already received evidence of an armed attacker on Saturday night. Residents were asked to stay in their homes and close their doors.
Hours of persecution
The agency warned of a shooter who could be wearing a police uniform and traveling with a vehicle that looked like a patrol car. There was an hour-long chase. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke of a “terrible situation” on Sunday.
Nova Scotia Prime Minister Stephen McNeil spoke of “one of the most senseless acts of violence in the history of our province” and an additional “heavy burden” in times of the coronavirus.
The dead policewoman was a 23-year-old mother of two, said Brian Sauvé, president of the police union. It is the worst such incident in Canadian history.
Incidents like mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada. After an incident in 1989 with 15 deaths, the country tightened arms laws. It is now illegal to have an unregistered pistol or rapid firearm.
Training, a risk assessment, two referrals, spousal notification, and a criminal background check are also required.
