Front Burner

The chaotic search for the Nova Scotia mass shooter

New RCMP testimony has provided insight into why police remained a step behind the killer for hours as he went on a rampage in Nova Scotia, killing 22.
RCMP officers prepare to take a person into custody at a gas station in Enfield, N.S. on Sunday April 19, 2020. The gunman was fatally shot by police a little over 12 hours after he started what would become one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history. (Tim Krochak/The Canadian Press)

Nearly two years ago, denturist Gabriel Wortman, in a fake police cruiser and uniform, terrorized rural Nova Scotia and killed 22 people. Looking for answers, a public inquiry is now connecting the dots between how the killer evaded RCMP and the chaotic situation officers faced on the ground.

For weeks, the Mass Casualty Commission has shared its findings, revealed critical documents, and gathered public testimony from witnesses. Today on Front Burner we hear RCMP testimony about how officers constantly felt a step behind the gunman – and how they eventually ended the rampage.

CBC Nova Scotia reporter Elizabeth McMillan joins us to explain what happened on April 18 and 19, 2020 and what's still to come from the commission.

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