About the victims

Q: How many victims are there?
A: There are 23 deceased, including a 17-year-old. All other victims are adults, both men and women. Among the victims is Cst. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the RCMP. 

Q: How many people were injured?
A: One of our members, Cst. Chad Morrison, was injured and we have information that other members of the public have been injured as well.

Q: Who was Cst. Heidi Stevenson?
A: Heidi was a devoted mother to 13-year-old Connor, and 11-year-old Ava, a wife to Dean, and loving daughter. She was incredibly proud to be a member of the RCMP and of the work she did as a part of this organization.
A: Heidi était la mère dévouée de Connor, 13 ans, et de Ava, 11 ans, la conjointe de Dean, et la fille adorée de ses parents. Elle était très fière d’être membre de la GRC et du travail qu’elle effectuait au sein de l’organisation

Q: Where can the public send condolences for Cst. Stevenson’s family?
A: Condolences can be sent to RCMP.Condolences-Condoleances.GRC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. A: Les messages de condoléances peuvent être envoyés à : RCMP.Condolences-Condoleances.GRC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

Q: Were the victims known to the suspect?
A: Some of the victims were known to Gabriel Wortman and were targeted while others were not known to him. We will not be providing more information on how the victims may have been known to Gabriel Wortman.

Q: What should I do if I’m worried a loved one is a victim?
A: If you are concerned about a loved one, please contact your nearest police detachment. We will get back to you and work to locate your loved one. Our members are working with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service to identify victims and connect with their families as quickly as possible. I can assure you that as soon as we identify victims, we are notifying their next of kin.

The course of events

Q: Where did it happen?
A: This tragedy began in Portapique. Victims were also found in Wentworth, Debert, Shubenacadie/Milford and Enfield.

Q: Was this a planned event?
A: That is part of our ongoing investigation.

Release:

Q: Why did he do this?
A: We aren’t speculating on Gabriel Wortman’s motives. Trying to answer this question is part of the investigation.

Q: Were there fires related to this?
A: There were more than five structure fires and vehicle fires related to the events.

Q: Were there victims in any of the fires?
A: Yes, we have recovered remains from some of the locations of the fires.

Q: What did the first call come in as?
A: The call RCMP first responded to was a firearms complaint.
A : Nous avons reçu une plainte concernant des armes à feu.

Q: How much time passed between when the initial call came in and when Gabriel Wortman was apprehended?
A: The firearms call came in at approximately 10:30 p.m. on April 18 and Gabriel Wortman was shot at approximately noon on April 19.
A : Nous avons reçu l’appel concernant des armes à feu vers 22 h 30, et Gabriel Wortman a été appréhendé vers midi aujourd’hui.

Q: How was Gabriel Wortman located?
A: The search for Gabriel Wortman ended on April 19 when he was located by members at a service station in Enfield. Gabriel Wortman was shot by police and later died.

Q: What has the investigation involved so far?
A: There are several aspects of the investigation, including interviews, processing crime scenes, analytical work and searches of Gabriel Wortman’s properties.

Q: Given this incident, how can I trust that someone is a real RCMP officer?
A: This was an unprecedented event and as soon as we learned that the suspect was possibly in a replica police cruiser and wearing what appeared to be an RCMP uniform, we immediately informed the public. Nova Scotians can rest assured that the RCMP is committed to keeping the public informed and instructing Nova Scotians on how to protect themselves from threats to public safety.

If you notice anything suspicious, or if anything just seems “off”, please call police and we will investigate. In an emergency, call 911.

SiRT Investigations

Q: Has anything been referred to SiRT?
A: Two matters, including the death of the suspect, are being investigated by SiRT. As these are now SiRT matters, we will not be providing more detail.
About Gabriel Wortman

Q: Was Gabriel Wortman an RCMP employee?
A: GabrielWortman was not an RCMP employee.
A: Gabriel Wortman n’était pas un employé de la GRC.

Q: Did Gabriel Wortman have a criminal record?
A: No.

Q: Is Gabriel Wortman the only suspect in this investigation?
A: This is part of our ongoing investigation.

Q: Was Gabriel Wortman driving an authentic police cruiser?
A: One of the vehicles Gabriel Wortman was driving was a very real look-alike RCMP vehicle.A: Un des véhicules que Gabriel Wortman conduisait était un véhicule qui ressemblait à un véhicule de la GRC.

Q: You released a photo of the car Gabriel Wortman was driving that resembled a police cruiser. How was it obtained?
A: This is part of the investigation.

Q: Was Gabriel Wortman wearing an authentic police uniform?
A: Yes, he was.