A gunman killed at least 16 people in an overnight shooting rampage across rural Nova Scotia, before being found dead Sunday after one of Canada's worst killing sprees in decades, federal police said.
Identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, the suspect had been on the run since Saturday night, when police were alerted to shots fired in the town of Portapique, around 100 km from Halifax, capital of the Atlantic province.
The victims included a female RCMP officer, Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the Force, while a second officer was injured.
In Nova Scotia several victims were discovered both outside and inside a house in the town, sparking a 12-hour manhunt through multiple communities.
"The search for the suspect ended this morning. When the suspect was located. And I can confirm that he is deceased," Chief Superintendent Chris Leather told a press conference earlier.
Mr Leather said that at one point the suspect appeared to be wearing part of a police uniform and was driving a vehicle made to look like an RCMP cruiser.
