Gabriel Wortman was taken into custody shortly before 11am by The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the Atlantic Canadian province of rural Nova Scotia
A 51-year-old gunman has been arrested on Sunday in Canada after police said he was suspected of shootings in Portapique that resulted in several victims.
Gabriel Wortman was taken into custody shortly before noon local time by The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the Atlantic Canadian province of rural Nova Scotia.
Police have not said whether the victims are injured or dead, but began the manhunt for Wortman on Saturday night, describing him as ‘armed and dangerous’.
Officials said Wortman was wearing a police uniform and driving what appeared to be a police car, but later reported he was driving a Chevrolet sports utility vehicle in Milford, about 80 miles further south of Portapique.
Police said in a tweet: ‘To clarify, the suspect in our active shooter investigation, Gabriel Wortman, is NOT employed by the RCMP but he may be wearing an RCMP uniform.
‘He is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do NOT approach and call 911 immediately.’
A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP matches video footage of a man being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014.
Police have not said whether the victims are injured or dead, but began the manhunt for Wortman on Saturday night, describing him as ‘armed and dangerous’. Pictured: Police prepare to take Wortman into custody at a gas station
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) monitor the TransCanada Highway while searching for Gabriel Wortman, who they describe as a shooter of multiple victims, near Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia, Canada
Tom Taggart, a lawmaker in the municipality of Colchester, said the quiet community has been shaken. ‘This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable,’ Taggart said by phone from his home in Bass River, near the lockdown area
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the shooting on Sunday morning during his daily briefing, saying: ‘My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation.
‘I want to thank the police for their hard work and people for cooperating with authorities.’
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the shootings occurred in the small coastal town of Portapique, about 80 miles of the provincial capital Halifax.
‘Gabriel Wortman, suspect in active shooter investigation, is now in custody,’ the force said in a tweet.
On Saturday night, Cpl. Lisa Croteau, public information officer with the RCMP Nova Scotia, said police received a call about ‘a person with firearms’ around 10.30pm and it later ‘evolved into an active shooting investigation.’
Tom Taggart, a lawmaker in the municipality of Colchester, said the quiet community has been shaken.
‘This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable,’ Taggart said by phone from his home in Bass River, near the lockdown area.
‘People live here because of the peace and quiet and it’s just an absolute tragedy,’ he said.
Police warned that Wortman may be driving what ‘appears to be an RCMP vehicle & may be wearing an RCMP uniform. There’s 1 difference btwn his car and our RCMP vehicles: the car #. The suspect’s car is 28B11, behind rear passenger window. If you see 28B11 call 911 immediately.’ But later, police said he was driving a Chevrolet sports utility vehicle
Police block the highway in Enfield, Nova Scotia on Sunday
Taggart said he didn’t know Wortman well, but spoke to him a few times when he telephoned about municipal issues.
Taggart described knowing Wortman’s ‘lovely big home’ on Portapique Beach Road. He said Wortman owned a few other properties in the community and was believed to divide his time between Portapique and his business in Dartmouth.
He described Portapique as ‘cottage country,’ with about 100 year-round residents and 250 in the summer.
‘You just don’t even dream that this is going to happen,’ he said. ‘I can’t fathom it.’
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada, which has tighter gun control laws than the United States.
In August 2018, a man in the neighboring province of New Brunswick shot dead four people, including two police officers, in an apartment complex.