Nova Scotia Mass Shooting Report Criticizes RCMP Failures, Calls for Reforms
The inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting has released its final report, condemning the RCMP for its failures in responding to the tragedy while calling for an overhaul in how the force operates.
“More than two years after the event, RCMP leadership had done very little to systematically evaluate its critical incident response to the deadliest mass shooting in Canada’s history,” said the Mass Casualty Commission’s report released on March 30.
“In our process, it was apparent that the organizational structure of the RCMP both contributes to these failings and makes it challenging to hold the organization accountable for its work.”
The commission’s 3,000-page report, which contains 130 recommendations, said the RCMP was unprepared to handle the events of April 18-19, 2020, when Gabriel Wortman killed 22 people and injured three others across Nova Scotia before being shot and killed by police.
The report criticized the RCMP for failing to warn the public that the gunman had left the town of Portapique or that he was disguised as a police officer and driving a replica vehicle. The commissioners said this deprived community members of the “opportunity to evaluate risks to their safety and to take measures to better protect themselves.”
More to come.
