Canada police arrest suspected gunman ‘disguised as a cop’ after overnight manhunt following shootings with several victims
- Gabriel Wortman, 51, was arrested by police in Nova Scotia, Canada on Sunday
- Police said he is suspected of shootings in Portapique that resulted in several victims
- They have not said whether the victims are injured or dead
- Wortman was initially described as wearing a police uniform and driving a vehicle resembling a police car
- However, police later said he was driving a Chevrolet sports utility vehicle
- Police said he is not an RCMP employee or officer
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 at the wheel of 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.’
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the shootings occurred in the small coastal town of Portapique, about 80 miles of the provincial capital Halifax.
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
‘Gabriel Wortman, suspect in active shooter investigation, is now in custody,’ the force said in a tweet.
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.
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.’