RCMP say they now believe there are 22 victims following this weekend’s mass shooting incident in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia RCMP also released a partial timeline Tuesday about the events which unfolded during the 13-hour incident.
In a news release, police say they were first alerted to the event after a firearms complaint came in at 10:30 p.m. Saturday from a residence in Portapique, a small coastal town in the northern part of the province.
They say when officers arrived, members found several casualties both inside and outside of the home, but the suspect was not present.
Police worked to secure the area and evacuate nearby residents while searching for the suspect.
During the search, they were led to multiple sites in the immediate area which included more than five structures and vehicles that were on fire.
The suspect was then identified and the search continued through the night and into Sunday morning through multiple communities.
Police say the search ended Sunday just before noon when the suspect was located by officers at the Enfield Big Stop off Highway 102, where he was shot by police and later died.
The takedown of the suspect was referred to the province’s police watchdog, the Serious Incident Response Team, along with another report of two officers discharging their firearms, although no other information has been shared about that incident.
The RCMP also shared a question-and-answer document, which included details about the investigation, the victims and information about the shooter.
The Q&A notes 22 people were killed in the incident, including a 17-year-old, along with RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson.
Police also say they have information that others were injured, but did not provide any numbers.
They note some of the victims were targeted while others had no connection to the suspect. Police are investigating 16 crime scenes in Portapique, Wentworth, Debert, Shubenacadie/Milford and Enfield.
On the shooter’s background, the Q&A noted he did not have a criminal background and was not an RCMP member, but did wear an authentic RCMP uniform during the event. They note the RCMP car he was reported to be in was “a very real look-alike RCMP vehicle.”
In the release, police wouldn’t comment on how the RCMP obtained a photo of the shooter’s makeshift RCMP car, which was shared on their official Twitter page during their search.
Police currently aren’t commenting on a motive or whether the events were premeditated, says those facts are still part of the active investigation.
The Q&A also says police are still investigating whether the shooter is the only suspect.
If anyone is concerned about a loved one they believe may have been a victim, police are asking they contact their nearest detachment.
With files from Cody McEachern.
