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Gun Control is Completely Useless.
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Greektown shooting victims slam feds over gun-control reform
Danforth Families for Safe Communities has written a letter to Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair saying the bills are toothless
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2021 • 8 hours ago • < 1 minute read • 29 Comments
Doug Fallon, the father of one of last year's Danforth shooting victims, Reese, hugs Noor Samiel, who spoke passionately about her best friend who died that night. Their families & their friends gathered at the Danforth Music Hall to call for tighter gun controls in Canada , on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Stan Behal/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)
Doug Fallon, the father of one of last year's Danforth shooting victims, Reese, hugs Noor Samiel, who spoke passionately about her best friend who died that night. Their families & their friends gathered at the Danforth Music Hall to call for tighter gun controls in Canada , on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Stan Behal/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)
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Victims of gun violence in Ontario say the federal government’s proposed gun-control laws fail to protect Canadians.
Danforth Families for Safe Communities has written a letter to Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair saying the bills are toothless.
Khloe Kardashian racing to remove bikini pic from Internet
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The group of victims and families affected by the Greektown mass shooting that left two dead and 13 hurt say the government’s plan to allow municipalities to ban handguns should be scrapped.
They say there should be a federal law that bans handguns outright.
The group says Blair, a former Toronto police chief, failed by not delivering a stronger handgun ban.
Blair’s office did not immediately provide a comment on the letter.
torontosun.com
Danforth Families for Safe Communities has written a letter to Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair saying the bills are toothless
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2021 • 8 hours ago • < 1 minute read • 29 Comments
Doug Fallon, the father of one of last year's Danforth shooting victims, Reese, hugs Noor Samiel, who spoke passionately about her best friend who died that night. Their families & their friends gathered at the Danforth Music Hall to call for tighter gun controls in Canada , on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Stan Behal/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)
Doug Fallon, the father of one of last year's Danforth shooting victims, Reese, hugs Noor Samiel, who spoke passionately about her best friend who died that night. Their families & their friends gathered at the Danforth Music Hall to call for tighter gun controls in Canada , on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. (Stan Behal/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)
Article content
Victims of gun violence in Ontario say the federal government’s proposed gun-control laws fail to protect Canadians.
Danforth Families for Safe Communities has written a letter to Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair saying the bills are toothless.
Khloe Kardashian racing to remove bikini pic from Internet
Trackerdslogo
The group of victims and families affected by the Greektown mass shooting that left two dead and 13 hurt say the government’s plan to allow municipalities to ban handguns should be scrapped.
They say there should be a federal law that bans handguns outright.
The group says Blair, a former Toronto police chief, failed by not delivering a stronger handgun ban.
Blair’s office did not immediately provide a comment on the letter.
Greektown shooting victims slam feds over gun-control reform
Danforth Families for Safe Communities has written a letter to Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair saying the bills are toothless.
U.S. President Biden announces steps to limit 'ghost' guns, plans to tackle assault weapons
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Steve Holland and Jeff Mason
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2021 • 8 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
U.S. President Joe Biden walks torwards former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords after he spoke about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 8, 2021.
U.S. President Joe Biden walks torwards former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords after he spoke about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 8, 2021. PHOTO BY BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI /AFP via Getty Images
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and his Attorney General Merrick Garland announced limited measures to tackle gun violence in the United States on Thursday, in what the White House described as a first step to curb mass shootings, community bloodshed and suicides.
The new measures include plans for the Justice Department to crack down on self-assembled “ghost guns” and make “stabilizing braces” – which effectively turn pistols into rifles – subject to registration under the National Firearms Act.
Biden said he will ask the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to release an annual report on firearms trafficking in the United States, and make it easier for states to adopt “red flag” laws that flag at-risk individuals who own guns.
Biden also outlined more ambitious goals that he needs the support of Congress to accomplish, including reintroducing a ban on assault weapons, lifting an exemption on lawsuits against gun manufacturers, and passing a nationwide red flag law.
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The executive orders unveiled on Thursday are not legislative.
“Today we’re taking steps to confront not just the gun crisis, but what is actually a public health crisis,” Biden said, speaking in the Rose Garden to an audience filled with family members of victims of gun violence.
He noted another mass shooting in South Carolina this week.
“This is an epidemic, for God’s sake, and it has to stop,” Biden said.
Biden, a Democrat who has a long history of advocating for gun restrictions, has come under pressure to step up action after recent mass shootings in Colorado and Georgia.
Biden announced the measures alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Merrick Garland, who Biden said would prioritize gun violence as head of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“We’ve had more tragedy than we can bear,” Harris said. “People on both sides of the aisle want action …. So all that is left is the will and the courage to act.”
The DOJ will issue a proposed rule on ghost guns in 30 days, and proposed rules on stabilizing braces and a model ‘red flag’ law for states within 60 days.
Garland said the department will also be rethinking the way that it analyzes criminal cases and investigations to try learn more about modern gun-trafficking patterns.
“Modern guns are not simply cast or forged anymore, but can also be made of plastic, printed on a 3D printer, or sold in self-assembly kits,” Garland said.
Gun control is a politically divisive subject in the United States, which has experienced a significant number of deadly mass shootings at schools and other public venues for decades.
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Most Americans support strengthening U.S. gun laws. An overwhelming majority support expanding background checks and keeping guns from the mentally ill, polls by Reuters and others show.
A series of gun control measures have failed in Congress, however.
“Enough prayers. Time for some action,” Biden said on Thursday, asking Congress to pass a proposed bill requiring background checks at gun shows and online.
The U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, and state attempts to limit who can buy guns or how they can carry them have been challenged in court by pro-gun lobby groups.
“Everything that is being proposed today is totally consistent with the Second Amendment,” Biden said. “And there’s a wide consensus behind the need to take action.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Steve Holland and Jeff Mason
Publishing date:Apr 08, 2021 • 8 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
U.S. President Joe Biden walks torwards former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords after he spoke about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 8, 2021.
U.S. President Joe Biden walks torwards former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords after he spoke about gun violence prevention in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 8, 2021. PHOTO BY BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI /AFP via Getty Images
Article content
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and his Attorney General Merrick Garland announced limited measures to tackle gun violence in the United States on Thursday, in what the White House described as a first step to curb mass shootings, community bloodshed and suicides.
The new measures include plans for the Justice Department to crack down on self-assembled “ghost guns” and make “stabilizing braces” – which effectively turn pistols into rifles – subject to registration under the National Firearms Act.
Biden said he will ask the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to release an annual report on firearms trafficking in the United States, and make it easier for states to adopt “red flag” laws that flag at-risk individuals who own guns.
Biden also outlined more ambitious goals that he needs the support of Congress to accomplish, including reintroducing a ban on assault weapons, lifting an exemption on lawsuits against gun manufacturers, and passing a nationwide red flag law.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The executive orders unveiled on Thursday are not legislative.
“Today we’re taking steps to confront not just the gun crisis, but what is actually a public health crisis,” Biden said, speaking in the Rose Garden to an audience filled with family members of victims of gun violence.
He noted another mass shooting in South Carolina this week.
“This is an epidemic, for God’s sake, and it has to stop,” Biden said.
Biden, a Democrat who has a long history of advocating for gun restrictions, has come under pressure to step up action after recent mass shootings in Colorado and Georgia.
Biden announced the measures alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Merrick Garland, who Biden said would prioritize gun violence as head of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“We’ve had more tragedy than we can bear,” Harris said. “People on both sides of the aisle want action …. So all that is left is the will and the courage to act.”
The DOJ will issue a proposed rule on ghost guns in 30 days, and proposed rules on stabilizing braces and a model ‘red flag’ law for states within 60 days.
Garland said the department will also be rethinking the way that it analyzes criminal cases and investigations to try learn more about modern gun-trafficking patterns.
“Modern guns are not simply cast or forged anymore, but can also be made of plastic, printed on a 3D printer, or sold in self-assembly kits,” Garland said.
Gun control is a politically divisive subject in the United States, which has experienced a significant number of deadly mass shootings at schools and other public venues for decades.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Most Americans support strengthening U.S. gun laws. An overwhelming majority support expanding background checks and keeping guns from the mentally ill, polls by Reuters and others show.
A series of gun control measures have failed in Congress, however.
“Enough prayers. Time for some action,” Biden said on Thursday, asking Congress to pass a proposed bill requiring background checks at gun shows and online.
The U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, and state attempts to limit who can buy guns or how they can carry them have been challenged in court by pro-gun lobby groups.
“Everything that is being proposed today is totally consistent with the Second Amendment,” Biden said. “And there’s a wide consensus behind the need to take action.”
U.S. President Biden announces steps to limit 'ghost' guns, plans to tackle assault weapons
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and his Attorney General Merrick Garland announced limited measures to tackle gun violence in the United States on Thursday,…
RCMP under scrutiny one year after mass killing that left 22 dead in Nova Scotia
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Michael MacDonald
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 5 minute read • Join the conversation
In this file photo taken April 19, 2020, members of the RCMP tactical unit confer after the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage was neutralized at the Big Stop near Elmsdale, Nova Scotia.
In this file photo taken April 19, 2020, members of the RCMP tactical unit confer after the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage was neutralized at the Big Stop near Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. PHOTO BY TIM KROCHAK /AFP via Getty Images / Files
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HALIFAX — In the 12 months since a man disguised as a Mountie murdered 22 people in rural Nova Scotia, the RCMP’s handling of the horrific case has come under intense scrutiny.
Through the intermittent disclosure of heavily redacted files, the RCMP and the Crown have gradually divulged a narrative that raises questions about why it took police 13 hours to stop one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history.
Wayne MacKay, a law professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, says the glacial pace of the RCMP’s investigation and their reluctance to release search warrant applications does not reflect well on the Mounties.
“They seem particularly reluctant to reveal too much … because they fear that it will reveal they haven’t approached the case in an ideal way,” MacKay said in an interview. “The approach of the RCMP and their slow release of information to date is troubling.”
In the past year, several media organizations have launched court challenges to gain access to search warrant applications, and a police watchdog agency has also shed light on the RCMP’s actions.
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Last December, for example, the Crown released a partially redacted application that described what officers saw as they arrived in Portapique, N.S., to investigate complaints of shots being fired late on April 18, 2020.
The document, known as an information to obtain or ITO, describes how a witness wounded by gunfire told the first officers on the scene that his neighbour, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, had been shooting people while dressed as a Mountie and driving a replica police car.
The witness, whose name is blacked out, said the vehicle in question was “almost identical to the police cars that showed up on the scene.”
The man’s observations are significant because they confirm the Mounties were informed of the killer’s disguise and his replica vehicle early in their response to the shootings and a string of deliberately set fires, which left 13 people dead in Portapique.
The Mounties, however, did not issue a public alert about the vehicle on Twitter until 10:17 a.m. the next day.
MacKay said the only plausible explanation for the delay is that the RCMP had mistakenly concluded the suspect had died the night before.
“It’s evidence of a fairly chaotic response to the tragedy,” MacKay said. “They seemed to believe that he either shot himself or had died in one of the fires …. They were operating on a false premise that the risk had passed.”
The RCMP last week declined to comment on the case, saying the police force will be participating in an upcoming federal-provincial inquiry. But early in their investigation, the Mounties argued they couldn’t divulge anything that might compromise a criminal probe that could lead to a trial.
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Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., who specializes in police and security issues, said the shear complexity of a case is a complicating factor, given that it involves 435 witnesses and 16 crime scenes.
“The approach is always one of caution,” he said.
Details regarding another key piece of evidence emerged in December when the Crown released a document that confirmed the RCMP knew exactly where the killer was when they received a 911 call from a home in Glenholme, N.S., at around 9:45 a.m. on April 19, 2020.
The couple inside the home told police that Wortman — whom they knew from a previous visit — was dressed as a Mountie and driving a replica police car. They said he had knocked on the door and, in an apparent attempt to trick the couple, yelled: “Come out with your hands up, Gabriel! Come out with your hands up!”
The couple didn’t respond, and the killer left.
At that point, the Mounties thought they had the shooter cornered, but he escaped. Having already killed four people that morning, he would go on to kill another five people, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson.
RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell, speaking at news conference on June 4, said one responding officer unknowingly passed the suspect on the road. “We actually missed that gunman by minutes,” Campbell said at the time.
After that, the RCMP lost track of the killer, though they posted a tweet saying they believed he was in the Onslow-Debert area at 10:21 a.m.
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The manhunt then took a disturbing turn when two RCMP officers mistakenly thought they had spotted the shooter standing next to an RCMP cruiser near the firehall in Onslow, about 95 kilometres north of Halifax.
According to a report from Nova Scotia’s police watchdog, the man in question was wearing an orange, reflective vest, which matched the police description of the suspect’s clothing.
When the officers tried to alert their superiors via their two-way radio, they couldn’t reach anyone because the channels were jammed, the report from Serious Incident Response Team said.
“The sole reason why (the officer) was unable to transmit what they were seeing was because there was no available talk path due to the heavy volume of radio traffic,” the report says.
As the two officers got out of their vehicle and raised their rifles, one of them yelled, “Police! Show your hands!”
They opened fire when the man ducked behind the car and ran toward the firehall. One officer fired four shots and the other a single shot. No one was injured — but some of the slugs ripped into the firehall, narrowly missing firefighters and members of the public seeking shelter.
“The degree of poor management and poor communication is really astounding,” MacKay said. “The leadership seems to be questionable, too.”
The watchdog agency later cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing, saying the “totality of the evidence” led the officers to believe it was the killer standing by the firehall.
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The Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade posted a statement on its Facebook page last month, saying it remains “frustrated and disappointed that there will be no accountability for the RCMP. Their actions that day endangered lives, damaged property and caused mental health issues for many of the people involved.”
In all, the killer travelled more than 150 kilometres before he was fatally shot by two RCMP officers who recognized him when he pulled into a gas station about 30 kilometres north of Halifax, driving a car stolen from his last victim. Another report from the police watchdog made it clear this was a chance encounter.
Despite the intense scrutiny that the RCMP have faced, Leuprecht said the Mounties are probably looking forward to taking part in the commission of inquiry, which is expected to report its findings by November 2022.
“It will give the RCMP a chance to tell their story,” said Leuprecht, who also teaches at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont.
“Canadians will be surprised. The story the RCMP is going to tell will be: ‘We did our best with the resources we had and the rules in place,”‘ he said.
“But there are some things that are going to come out of it that will change the way the RCMP responds to these types of incidents.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Michael MacDonald
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 5 minute read • Join the conversation
In this file photo taken April 19, 2020, members of the RCMP tactical unit confer after the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage was neutralized at the Big Stop near Elmsdale, Nova Scotia.
In this file photo taken April 19, 2020, members of the RCMP tactical unit confer after the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage was neutralized at the Big Stop near Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. PHOTO BY TIM KROCHAK /AFP via Getty Images / Files
Article content
HALIFAX — In the 12 months since a man disguised as a Mountie murdered 22 people in rural Nova Scotia, the RCMP’s handling of the horrific case has come under intense scrutiny.
Through the intermittent disclosure of heavily redacted files, the RCMP and the Crown have gradually divulged a narrative that raises questions about why it took police 13 hours to stop one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history.
Wayne MacKay, a law professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, says the glacial pace of the RCMP’s investigation and their reluctance to release search warrant applications does not reflect well on the Mounties.
“They seem particularly reluctant to reveal too much … because they fear that it will reveal they haven’t approached the case in an ideal way,” MacKay said in an interview. “The approach of the RCMP and their slow release of information to date is troubling.”
In the past year, several media organizations have launched court challenges to gain access to search warrant applications, and a police watchdog agency has also shed light on the RCMP’s actions.
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Last December, for example, the Crown released a partially redacted application that described what officers saw as they arrived in Portapique, N.S., to investigate complaints of shots being fired late on April 18, 2020.
The document, known as an information to obtain or ITO, describes how a witness wounded by gunfire told the first officers on the scene that his neighbour, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, had been shooting people while dressed as a Mountie and driving a replica police car.
The witness, whose name is blacked out, said the vehicle in question was “almost identical to the police cars that showed up on the scene.”
The man’s observations are significant because they confirm the Mounties were informed of the killer’s disguise and his replica vehicle early in their response to the shootings and a string of deliberately set fires, which left 13 people dead in Portapique.
The Mounties, however, did not issue a public alert about the vehicle on Twitter until 10:17 a.m. the next day.
MacKay said the only plausible explanation for the delay is that the RCMP had mistakenly concluded the suspect had died the night before.
“It’s evidence of a fairly chaotic response to the tragedy,” MacKay said. “They seemed to believe that he either shot himself or had died in one of the fires …. They were operating on a false premise that the risk had passed.”
The RCMP last week declined to comment on the case, saying the police force will be participating in an upcoming federal-provincial inquiry. But early in their investigation, the Mounties argued they couldn’t divulge anything that might compromise a criminal probe that could lead to a trial.
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Article content
Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., who specializes in police and security issues, said the shear complexity of a case is a complicating factor, given that it involves 435 witnesses and 16 crime scenes.
“The approach is always one of caution,” he said.
Details regarding another key piece of evidence emerged in December when the Crown released a document that confirmed the RCMP knew exactly where the killer was when they received a 911 call from a home in Glenholme, N.S., at around 9:45 a.m. on April 19, 2020.
The couple inside the home told police that Wortman — whom they knew from a previous visit — was dressed as a Mountie and driving a replica police car. They said he had knocked on the door and, in an apparent attempt to trick the couple, yelled: “Come out with your hands up, Gabriel! Come out with your hands up!”
The couple didn’t respond, and the killer left.
At that point, the Mounties thought they had the shooter cornered, but he escaped. Having already killed four people that morning, he would go on to kill another five people, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson.
RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell, speaking at news conference on June 4, said one responding officer unknowingly passed the suspect on the road. “We actually missed that gunman by minutes,” Campbell said at the time.
After that, the RCMP lost track of the killer, though they posted a tweet saying they believed he was in the Onslow-Debert area at 10:21 a.m.
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The manhunt then took a disturbing turn when two RCMP officers mistakenly thought they had spotted the shooter standing next to an RCMP cruiser near the firehall in Onslow, about 95 kilometres north of Halifax.
According to a report from Nova Scotia’s police watchdog, the man in question was wearing an orange, reflective vest, which matched the police description of the suspect’s clothing.
When the officers tried to alert their superiors via their two-way radio, they couldn’t reach anyone because the channels were jammed, the report from Serious Incident Response Team said.
“The sole reason why (the officer) was unable to transmit what they were seeing was because there was no available talk path due to the heavy volume of radio traffic,” the report says.
As the two officers got out of their vehicle and raised their rifles, one of them yelled, “Police! Show your hands!”
They opened fire when the man ducked behind the car and ran toward the firehall. One officer fired four shots and the other a single shot. No one was injured — but some of the slugs ripped into the firehall, narrowly missing firefighters and members of the public seeking shelter.
“The degree of poor management and poor communication is really astounding,” MacKay said. “The leadership seems to be questionable, too.”
The watchdog agency later cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing, saying the “totality of the evidence” led the officers to believe it was the killer standing by the firehall.
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The Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade posted a statement on its Facebook page last month, saying it remains “frustrated and disappointed that there will be no accountability for the RCMP. Their actions that day endangered lives, damaged property and caused mental health issues for many of the people involved.”
In all, the killer travelled more than 150 kilometres before he was fatally shot by two RCMP officers who recognized him when he pulled into a gas station about 30 kilometres north of Halifax, driving a car stolen from his last victim. Another report from the police watchdog made it clear this was a chance encounter.
Despite the intense scrutiny that the RCMP have faced, Leuprecht said the Mounties are probably looking forward to taking part in the commission of inquiry, which is expected to report its findings by November 2022.
“It will give the RCMP a chance to tell their story,” said Leuprecht, who also teaches at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont.
“Canadians will be surprised. The story the RCMP is going to tell will be: ‘We did our best with the resources we had and the rules in place,”‘ he said.
“But there are some things that are going to come out of it that will change the way the RCMP responds to these types of incidents.”
RCMP under scrutiny one year after mass killing that left 22 dead in Nova Scotia
HALIFAX — In the 12 months since a man disguised as a Mountie murdered 22 people in rural Nova Scotia, the RCMP’s handling of the horrific case has come under…
Gunman kills eight before taking own life at Indianapolis FedEx site
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Shubham Kalia
Publishing date:Apr 16, 2021 • 52 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
People hug after learning that their loved one is safe after a shooting inside a FedEx building Friday, April 16, 2021.
People hug after learning that their loved one is safe after a shooting inside a FedEx building Friday, April 16, 2021. The Indianapolis Star via AP
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A gunman shot eight people dead and injured several others at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis before taking his own life, police said early on Friday.
The incident occurred at a FedEx operations center near the Indianapolis International airport, after 11pm local time on Thursday night.
A worker at the facility told local television station WRTV that he was eating when he heard what sounded like “two loud metal clangs” followed by more shots.
“Somebody went behind their car to the trunk and then got another gun,” he said, adding: “Then I saw one body on the floor.”
Indianapolis police spokeswoman Genae Cook told local reporters the authorities had “arrived to an active shooter incident.”
“Preliminary information is that the alleged shooter has taken his own life here at the scene,” she said.
Five people were taken to hospitals with gunshot injuries, while “multiple” others had walked into hospitals nearby. Two more were treated at the facility itself by medical staff and released, according to the police.
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One of the people taken to hospital was in critical condition, Cook said.
At least 30 people have been killed in mass shootings around the United States in the last month. President Joe Biden has announced limited measures to tackle gun violence, but more ambitious steps may be hard to enact despite broad support.
The Indianapolis police department’s deputy chief, Craig McCartt, told CNN that police did not fire any shots in the incident.
“There seems to be a lack of conflict resolution skills and people are way too quick to pick up a gun and solve their problems with a gun today. But everyone should be concerned about the frequency that these are happening,” he said.
Television footage showed victims’ families, friends and work mates, all with face masks on due to the pandemic and most holding their mobile phones, at a “family unification center” set up by authorities in a nearby hotel.
A FedEx spokesman said the company was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the loss of its team members. He did not clarify if all those killed were FedEx employees.
“Our most heartfelt sympathies are with all those affected by this senseless act of violence. The safety of our team members is our top priority, and we are fully cooperating with investigating authorities,” he added.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett wrote on Twitter early on Friday: “This morning, Indianapolis residents are confronted with the horrific news of yet another mass shooting, an act of violence that senselessly claimed the lives of eight of our neighbors.”
U.S. Congressman André Carson, a representative for Indiana, wrote on Twitter: “I am heartbroken by the mass shooting at the FedEx facility here in Indianapolis and praying for all affected by this tragedy.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Shubham Kalia
Publishing date:Apr 16, 2021 • 52 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
People hug after learning that their loved one is safe after a shooting inside a FedEx building Friday, April 16, 2021.
People hug after learning that their loved one is safe after a shooting inside a FedEx building Friday, April 16, 2021. The Indianapolis Star via AP
Article content
A gunman shot eight people dead and injured several others at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis before taking his own life, police said early on Friday.
The incident occurred at a FedEx operations center near the Indianapolis International airport, after 11pm local time on Thursday night.
A worker at the facility told local television station WRTV that he was eating when he heard what sounded like “two loud metal clangs” followed by more shots.
“Somebody went behind their car to the trunk and then got another gun,” he said, adding: “Then I saw one body on the floor.”
Indianapolis police spokeswoman Genae Cook told local reporters the authorities had “arrived to an active shooter incident.”
“Preliminary information is that the alleged shooter has taken his own life here at the scene,” she said.
Five people were taken to hospitals with gunshot injuries, while “multiple” others had walked into hospitals nearby. Two more were treated at the facility itself by medical staff and released, according to the police.
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One of the people taken to hospital was in critical condition, Cook said.
At least 30 people have been killed in mass shootings around the United States in the last month. President Joe Biden has announced limited measures to tackle gun violence, but more ambitious steps may be hard to enact despite broad support.
The Indianapolis police department’s deputy chief, Craig McCartt, told CNN that police did not fire any shots in the incident.
“There seems to be a lack of conflict resolution skills and people are way too quick to pick up a gun and solve their problems with a gun today. But everyone should be concerned about the frequency that these are happening,” he said.
Television footage showed victims’ families, friends and work mates, all with face masks on due to the pandemic and most holding their mobile phones, at a “family unification center” set up by authorities in a nearby hotel.
A FedEx spokesman said the company was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the loss of its team members. He did not clarify if all those killed were FedEx employees.
“Our most heartfelt sympathies are with all those affected by this senseless act of violence. The safety of our team members is our top priority, and we are fully cooperating with investigating authorities,” he added.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett wrote on Twitter early on Friday: “This morning, Indianapolis residents are confronted with the horrific news of yet another mass shooting, an act of violence that senselessly claimed the lives of eight of our neighbors.”
U.S. Congressman André Carson, a representative for Indiana, wrote on Twitter: “I am heartbroken by the mass shooting at the FedEx facility here in Indianapolis and praying for all affected by this tragedy.”
Gunman who killed 8 workers at FedEx site had been detained for mental illness
The 19-year-old gunman who killed eight workers and himself at an Indianapolis FedEx centre was a former employee who was placed under psychiatric detention…
IMO RCMP did drop the ball here, a few people did report him to the authorities in the last couple of years and there was no follow upRCMP under scrutiny one year after mass killing that left 22 dead in Nova Scotia
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Michael MacDonald
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 5 minute read • Join the conversation
In this file photo taken April 19, 2020, members of the RCMP tactical unit confer after the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage was neutralized at the Big Stop near Elmsdale, Nova Scotia.
In this file photo taken April 19, 2020, members of the RCMP tactical unit confer after the suspect in a deadly shooting rampage was neutralized at the Big Stop near Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. PHOTO BY TIM KROCHAK /AFP via Getty Images / Files
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HALIFAX — In the 12 months since a man disguised as a Mountie murdered 22 people in rural Nova Scotia, the RCMP’s handling of the horrific case has come under intense scrutiny.
Through the intermittent disclosure of heavily redacted files, the RCMP and the Crown have gradually divulged a narrative that raises questions about why it took police 13 hours to stop one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history.
Wayne MacKay, a law professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, says the glacial pace of the RCMP’s investigation and their reluctance to release search warrant applications does not reflect well on the Mounties.
“They seem particularly reluctant to reveal too much … because they fear that it will reveal they haven’t approached the case in an ideal way,” MacKay said in an interview. “The approach of the RCMP and their slow release of information to date is troubling.”
In the past year, several media organizations have launched court challenges to gain access to search warrant applications, and a police watchdog agency has also shed light on the RCMP’s actions.
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Last December, for example, the Crown released a partially redacted application that described what officers saw as they arrived in Portapique, N.S., to investigate complaints of shots being fired late on April 18, 2020.
The document, known as an information to obtain or ITO, describes how a witness wounded by gunfire told the first officers on the scene that his neighbour, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, had been shooting people while dressed as a Mountie and driving a replica police car.
The witness, whose name is blacked out, said the vehicle in question was “almost identical to the police cars that showed up on the scene.”
The man’s observations are significant because they confirm the Mounties were informed of the killer’s disguise and his replica vehicle early in their response to the shootings and a string of deliberately set fires, which left 13 people dead in Portapique.
The Mounties, however, did not issue a public alert about the vehicle on Twitter until 10:17 a.m. the next day.
MacKay said the only plausible explanation for the delay is that the RCMP had mistakenly concluded the suspect had died the night before.
“It’s evidence of a fairly chaotic response to the tragedy,” MacKay said. “They seemed to believe that he either shot himself or had died in one of the fires …. They were operating on a false premise that the risk had passed.”
The RCMP last week declined to comment on the case, saying the police force will be participating in an upcoming federal-provincial inquiry. But early in their investigation, the Mounties argued they couldn’t divulge anything that might compromise a criminal probe that could lead to a trial.
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Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., who specializes in police and security issues, said the shear complexity of a case is a complicating factor, given that it involves 435 witnesses and 16 crime scenes.
“The approach is always one of caution,” he said.
Details regarding another key piece of evidence emerged in December when the Crown released a document that confirmed the RCMP knew exactly where the killer was when they received a 911 call from a home in Glenholme, N.S., at around 9:45 a.m. on April 19, 2020.
The couple inside the home told police that Wortman — whom they knew from a previous visit — was dressed as a Mountie and driving a replica police car. They said he had knocked on the door and, in an apparent attempt to trick the couple, yelled: “Come out with your hands up, Gabriel! Come out with your hands up!”
The couple didn’t respond, and the killer left.
At that point, the Mounties thought they had the shooter cornered, but he escaped. Having already killed four people that morning, he would go on to kill another five people, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson.
RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell, speaking at news conference on June 4, said one responding officer unknowingly passed the suspect on the road. “We actually missed that gunman by minutes,” Campbell said at the time.
After that, the RCMP lost track of the killer, though they posted a tweet saying they believed he was in the Onslow-Debert area at 10:21 a.m.
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The manhunt then took a disturbing turn when two RCMP officers mistakenly thought they had spotted the shooter standing next to an RCMP cruiser near the firehall in Onslow, about 95 kilometres north of Halifax.
According to a report from Nova Scotia’s police watchdog, the man in question was wearing an orange, reflective vest, which matched the police description of the suspect’s clothing.
When the officers tried to alert their superiors via their two-way radio, they couldn’t reach anyone because the channels were jammed, the report from Serious Incident Response Team said.
“The sole reason why (the officer) was unable to transmit what they were seeing was because there was no available talk path due to the heavy volume of radio traffic,” the report says.
As the two officers got out of their vehicle and raised their rifles, one of them yelled, “Police! Show your hands!”
They opened fire when the man ducked behind the car and ran toward the firehall. One officer fired four shots and the other a single shot. No one was injured — but some of the slugs ripped into the firehall, narrowly missing firefighters and members of the public seeking shelter.
“The degree of poor management and poor communication is really astounding,” MacKay said. “The leadership seems to be questionable, too.”
The watchdog agency later cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing, saying the “totality of the evidence” led the officers to believe it was the killer standing by the firehall.
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The Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade posted a statement on its Facebook page last month, saying it remains “frustrated and disappointed that there will be no accountability for the RCMP. Their actions that day endangered lives, damaged property and caused mental health issues for many of the people involved.”
In all, the killer travelled more than 150 kilometres before he was fatally shot by two RCMP officers who recognized him when he pulled into a gas station about 30 kilometres north of Halifax, driving a car stolen from his last victim. Another report from the police watchdog made it clear this was a chance encounter.
Despite the intense scrutiny that the RCMP have faced, Leuprecht said the Mounties are probably looking forward to taking part in the commission of inquiry, which is expected to report its findings by November 2022.
“It will give the RCMP a chance to tell their story,” said Leuprecht, who also teaches at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont.
“Canadians will be surprised. The story the RCMP is going to tell will be: ‘We did our best with the resources we had and the rules in place,”‘ he said.
“But there are some things that are going to come out of it that will change the way the RCMP responds to these types of incidents.”
RCMP under scrutiny one year after mass killing that left 22 dead in Nova Scotia
HALIFAX — In the 12 months since a man disguised as a Mountie murdered 22 people in rural Nova Scotia, the RCMP’s handling of the horrific case has come under…
Gunman who killed 8 workers at FedEx site had been detained for mental illness
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Maria Caspani and Mark Hosenball
Publishing date:Apr 16, 2021 • 12 hours ago • 5 minute read • 79 Comments
Officials load a body into a vehicle at the site of a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, Friday, April 16, 2021.
Officials load a body into a vehicle at the site of a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, Friday, April 16, 2021. PHOTO BY JEFF DEAN /AFP via Getty Images
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The 19-year-old gunman who killed eight workers and himself at an Indianapolis FedEx centre was a former employee who was placed under psychiatric detention last year after his mother reported concerns he might commit “suicide by cop,” police and FBI said.
Four members of the Sikh religious community – three women and a man – were among the dead in Thursday night’s gun rampage, according to a local Sikh leader who said he had been briefed by the victims’ families.
Law enforcement officials said they had not immediately determined whether racial or ethnic hatred was behind the killings. But a Sikh civil rights advocacy group called for an investigation of any possible hate bias involved in the crime.
The incident – the latest in a spate of at least seven deadly mass shootings in the United States over the past month – unfolded at a FedEx operations centre near Indianapolis International Airport after 11 p.m. local time, police said.
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It lasted only a couple of minutes and was over by the time police responded to the scene, Craig McCartt, the Indianapolis police department’s deputy chief, told a news briefing on Friday.
Witnesses described a chaotic attack, as the gunman opened fire with a rifle in the parking lot before entering the facility and continuing to shoot, leaving victims both inside and outside the building. Officers found the suspect dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A FedEx spokeswoman and police identified the gunman as Brandon Hole, a former employee at the facility. McCartt told reporters the suspect was believed to have last worked at the plant in the fall of 2020.
Asked what brought him back to the facility on Thursday night, McCartt replied: “I wish I could answer that.”
‘SUICIDE BY COP’
The FBI said the suspect had been placed under a temporary mental health detention by Indianapolis police in March 2020 after his mother contacted law enforcement to report he might try to commit “suicide by cop.”
A shotgun was seized from his residence then, and based on “items observed in the suspect’s bedroom at that time,” he was interviewed by the FBI in April 2020, FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said in a statement.
“No racially motivated violent extremism ideology” was identified during that assessment, and no criminal violation was found, but the shotgun was not returned, Keenan said.
The massacre is the most recent in a series of U.S. mass shootings that has again pushed the issue of gun violence to the political foreground.
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Indianapolis – the capital of the Midwestern state of Indiana – alone has seen two mass shootings this year. In January, police say a teenager shot and killed four family members and a pregnant woman.
Thursday’s gun violence at the FedEx centre was the second mass shooting in recent weeks targeting workplaces employing a high concentration of people of Asian descent.
Sikhs, whose religion originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, accounted for four of the eight killed and at least one wounded, according to Gurinder Singh Khalsa, a businessman and leader of the local Sikh community.
Singh Khalsa told Reuters the majority of employees at the FedEx site are Sikh.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office later identified the dead as: Matthew Alexander, 32, Samaria Blackwell, 19, Amarjeet Johal, 66, Jaswinder Kaur, 64, Jaswinder Singh, 68, Amarjit Sekhon, 48, Karli Smith, 19, and John Weisert, 74.
The New York-based Sikh Coalition, which describes itself as the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States, said it expected authorities to “conduct a full investigation — including the possibility of bias as a factor.”
The coalition’s executive director, Satjeet Kaur, said more than 8,000 Sikh-Americans live in Indiana.
The recent surge in U.S. mass shootings began on March 16 when a gunman shot eight people to death, including six Asian woman, at three Atlanta-area day spas before he was arrested.
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That rampage heightened tensions already brewing over a rise in hate crimes and discrimination directed at Asian Americans in recent years, stoked in part by racially inflammatory rhetoric about the coronavirus pandemic’s origins in China.
‘STAINS OUR CHARACTER’
Reacting to the latest tragedy, U.S. President Joe Biden ordered flags lowered to half staff and reiterated his call for Congress to pass tougher gun restrictions.
“Too many Americans are dying every single day from gun violence,” he said. “It stains our character and pierces the very soul of our nation.”
Earlier this month, Biden announced limited measures to tackle gun violence that included a crackdown on self-assembled “ghost guns.” But more stringent measures face an uphill battle in a divided Congress, where Republican lawmakers have long opposed any new gun limits.
There have been 147 mass shootings in 2021, defined as incidents in which at least four people were shot, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit website that tracks firearm-related incidents.
Friday also marked the 14th anniversary of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history at Virginia Tech, which saw 32 people killed.
‘HOODED FIGURE’
Indianapolis FedEx employee Olivia Sui told Reuters via text message that she and some co-workers had just left the building after picking up their paychecks and were sitting in a car in the parking lot when shots rang out.
“That’s when I looked around and saw the gunman with a rifle, run into the building,” followed by more gunfire, she said. “I panicked and started reversing from the parking lot as fast as I could.”
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Another employee, Levi Miller, told NBC’s “Today Show” he ducked out of sight when he saw a hooded figure holding what appeared to be an AR-style semiautomatic rifle who shouted and opened fire outside the facility.
Five people were taken to hospitals with gunshot wounds, including one in critical condition, police said. Two more were treated on scene and released.
As employees’ relatives, friends and colleagues gathered at a nearby hotel afterward, some expressed frustration at being unable to reach workers at the site, where company policy bars many employees from having mobile phones to avoid distractions.
In a message to staff, FedEx Chief Executive Officer Frederick Smith said all eight killed were employees.
“I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and co-workers of those team members,” said Smith, who added that the company is cooperating with investigators.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Maria Caspani and Mark Hosenball
Publishing date:Apr 16, 2021 • 12 hours ago • 5 minute read • 79 Comments
Officials load a body into a vehicle at the site of a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, Friday, April 16, 2021.
Officials load a body into a vehicle at the site of a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, Friday, April 16, 2021. PHOTO BY JEFF DEAN /AFP via Getty Images
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The 19-year-old gunman who killed eight workers and himself at an Indianapolis FedEx centre was a former employee who was placed under psychiatric detention last year after his mother reported concerns he might commit “suicide by cop,” police and FBI said.
Four members of the Sikh religious community – three women and a man – were among the dead in Thursday night’s gun rampage, according to a local Sikh leader who said he had been briefed by the victims’ families.
Law enforcement officials said they had not immediately determined whether racial or ethnic hatred was behind the killings. But a Sikh civil rights advocacy group called for an investigation of any possible hate bias involved in the crime.
The incident – the latest in a spate of at least seven deadly mass shootings in the United States over the past month – unfolded at a FedEx operations centre near Indianapolis International Airport after 11 p.m. local time, police said.
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It lasted only a couple of minutes and was over by the time police responded to the scene, Craig McCartt, the Indianapolis police department’s deputy chief, told a news briefing on Friday.
Witnesses described a chaotic attack, as the gunman opened fire with a rifle in the parking lot before entering the facility and continuing to shoot, leaving victims both inside and outside the building. Officers found the suspect dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A FedEx spokeswoman and police identified the gunman as Brandon Hole, a former employee at the facility. McCartt told reporters the suspect was believed to have last worked at the plant in the fall of 2020.
Asked what brought him back to the facility on Thursday night, McCartt replied: “I wish I could answer that.”
‘SUICIDE BY COP’
The FBI said the suspect had been placed under a temporary mental health detention by Indianapolis police in March 2020 after his mother contacted law enforcement to report he might try to commit “suicide by cop.”
A shotgun was seized from his residence then, and based on “items observed in the suspect’s bedroom at that time,” he was interviewed by the FBI in April 2020, FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said in a statement.
“No racially motivated violent extremism ideology” was identified during that assessment, and no criminal violation was found, but the shotgun was not returned, Keenan said.
The massacre is the most recent in a series of U.S. mass shootings that has again pushed the issue of gun violence to the political foreground.
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Indianapolis – the capital of the Midwestern state of Indiana – alone has seen two mass shootings this year. In January, police say a teenager shot and killed four family members and a pregnant woman.
Thursday’s gun violence at the FedEx centre was the second mass shooting in recent weeks targeting workplaces employing a high concentration of people of Asian descent.
Sikhs, whose religion originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, accounted for four of the eight killed and at least one wounded, according to Gurinder Singh Khalsa, a businessman and leader of the local Sikh community.
Singh Khalsa told Reuters the majority of employees at the FedEx site are Sikh.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office later identified the dead as: Matthew Alexander, 32, Samaria Blackwell, 19, Amarjeet Johal, 66, Jaswinder Kaur, 64, Jaswinder Singh, 68, Amarjit Sekhon, 48, Karli Smith, 19, and John Weisert, 74.
The New York-based Sikh Coalition, which describes itself as the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States, said it expected authorities to “conduct a full investigation — including the possibility of bias as a factor.”
The coalition’s executive director, Satjeet Kaur, said more than 8,000 Sikh-Americans live in Indiana.
The recent surge in U.S. mass shootings began on March 16 when a gunman shot eight people to death, including six Asian woman, at three Atlanta-area day spas before he was arrested.
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That rampage heightened tensions already brewing over a rise in hate crimes and discrimination directed at Asian Americans in recent years, stoked in part by racially inflammatory rhetoric about the coronavirus pandemic’s origins in China.
‘STAINS OUR CHARACTER’
Reacting to the latest tragedy, U.S. President Joe Biden ordered flags lowered to half staff and reiterated his call for Congress to pass tougher gun restrictions.
“Too many Americans are dying every single day from gun violence,” he said. “It stains our character and pierces the very soul of our nation.”
Earlier this month, Biden announced limited measures to tackle gun violence that included a crackdown on self-assembled “ghost guns.” But more stringent measures face an uphill battle in a divided Congress, where Republican lawmakers have long opposed any new gun limits.
There have been 147 mass shootings in 2021, defined as incidents in which at least four people were shot, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit website that tracks firearm-related incidents.
Friday also marked the 14th anniversary of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history at Virginia Tech, which saw 32 people killed.
‘HOODED FIGURE’
Indianapolis FedEx employee Olivia Sui told Reuters via text message that she and some co-workers had just left the building after picking up their paychecks and were sitting in a car in the parking lot when shots rang out.
“That’s when I looked around and saw the gunman with a rifle, run into the building,” followed by more gunfire, she said. “I panicked and started reversing from the parking lot as fast as I could.”
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Another employee, Levi Miller, told NBC’s “Today Show” he ducked out of sight when he saw a hooded figure holding what appeared to be an AR-style semiautomatic rifle who shouted and opened fire outside the facility.
Five people were taken to hospitals with gunshot wounds, including one in critical condition, police said. Two more were treated on scene and released.
As employees’ relatives, friends and colleagues gathered at a nearby hotel afterward, some expressed frustration at being unable to reach workers at the site, where company policy bars many employees from having mobile phones to avoid distractions.
In a message to staff, FedEx Chief Executive Officer Frederick Smith said all eight killed were employees.
“I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and co-workers of those team members,” said Smith, who added that the company is cooperating with investigators.
Gunman who killed 8 workers at FedEx site had been detained for mental illness
The 19-year-old gunman who killed eight workers and himself at an Indianapolis FedEx centre was a former employee who was placed under psychiatric detention…
Nova Scotia marks one year since mass shooting with memorial service
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Apr 18, 2021 • 2 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Family and friends of the late Jamie and Greg Blair gather at the Broken Heart Sculpture as they mark the one-year anniversary of the April 2020 murder rampage in rural Nova Scotia, in Truro, N.S. on Sunday, April 18, 2021.
Family and friends of the late Jamie and Greg Blair gather at the Broken Heart Sculpture as they mark the one-year anniversary of the April 2020 murder rampage in rural Nova Scotia, in Truro, N.S. on Sunday, April 18, 2021. PHOTO BY ANDREW VAUGHAN /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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TRURO, N.S. — Relatives of 22 people slain during a killer’s rampage in rural Nova Scotia gathered inside a church Sunday to take part in an emotional ceremony that honoured the victims one year later.
The sombre event at First United Church in Truro, N.S., which was livestreamed in lieu of being open to the public, began with a provincewide moment of silence.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared remarks through a pre-recorded statement, saying he wished he could have attended the service.
“Even a year later, I know there is no comfort for the anguish of having an adored parent or precious child torn away,” he said, standing in front of a row of Canadian flags. “So all I can say is this: You are not alone. All Canadians stand with you and grieve with you.”
The prime minister described one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian history as an act of evil that should not define the memories of those lost on April 18-19, 2020.
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“It will not define the communities that still grieve them,” he said. “Instead, we will remember the kindness and joy of each person taken from us … We will remember the strength of their families — families who shared with me stories I will never forget.”
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At the front of the church was a blue platform, upon which painted rocks displayed a single rose and the first name of each victim. At one point, relatives placed flowers next to each stone as each victim’s name was read aloud.
Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin told the congregation it was important for those experiencing great loss to come together and seek strength from their community.
“As you and our communities continue on the journey of healing, my hope is that you’ll be strengthened by the continued outpouring of support from Nova Scotians and people throughout the world,” he said.
The hour-long service was organized by a committee of the Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society, led by Jenny Kierstead, the sister of Lisa McCully — a neighbour of the gunman who was among the first killed on the night of April 18, 2020.
“We have all suffered so much this year that it is our intention to bring some light and beauty to our lives on this dark day,” she said in a pre-recorded statement.
“What we know is that a trauma such as the one that we’ve endured can shatter a person’s life. I know it has mine. May this ceremony help you hear the whisper of your own heart, calling you back home to the love, peace and the wholeness that resides within.”
Earlier in the day, hundreds of people took part in a series of
memorial walks and runs in and around Truro. Money raised from those events will help pay for a permanent memorial, the plans for which are still in the early stages.
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Organizer Denise Burgess said the events were aimed at healing and remembrance.
“We want to turn the lens away from what happened to who these people were,” she said in an interview Sunday. “It gives us a chance to reflect on their lives — that they were full, beautiful lives and they were wonderful, giving people who contributed to our community.”
In Truro’s Victoria Park, which is where the races ended, a large art installation pays tribute to the victims. Crafted by welder Wayne Smith, the statue features 24 hearts with the name of each victim, including an unborn child.
“There’s a bit of healing that takes place when we can make this for people,” said Burgess, a teacher in Truro whose students once included Emily Tuck, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student who was killed with her parents in Portapique on April 18, 2020.
The anniversary was also marked by a peaceful march to the RCMP detachment in nearby Bible Hill, where some protesters expressed their dismay with the Mounties’ response to one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history.
The RCMP’s commanding officer in Nova Scotia, Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, issued a statement Sunday saying the police force would observe a moment of silence at 2 p.m. on Monday.
“We understand people have questions and want to know as much as possible about the incidents,” Bergerman said, adding that a federal-provincial public inquiry will provide some answers.
“It is our hope that the Mass Casualty Commission will provide a full accounting of what happened for the families of the victims and the public.”
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The Mounties have confirmed that on the night of April 18, 2020, the killer assaulted his common-law spouse, set fire to several homes and proceeded to kill 13 people in Portapique, N.S., a rural community on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy.
Dressed as a Mountie and driving a car he modified to look exactly like an RCMP cruiser, the killer evaded police by driving through a field shortly after officers arrived at the chaotic scene some time after 10 p.m.
Having spent the night hiding at the rear of a welding shop in Debert, N.S., the killer resumed murdering people he knew and others at random before he was fatally shot by two Mounties at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., about 35 kilometres north of Halifax.
He had driven more than 150 kilometres during the 13 hours he was at large.
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Speculation about his motives has included evidence he was paranoid about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying at one point in an email he was glad he was well-armed because the pandemic would make people desperate “once the money runs out.”
As well, the RCMP have said a behavioural analysis revealed he was likely an “injustice collector,” whose grudges built up over time and eventually exploded in horrific violence.
The killer’s propensity for violence was well known among some of his neighbours in Portapique, who have come forward to say he had a long history of abusing his common-law spouse. She survived the mayhem in Portapique.
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torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Apr 18, 2021 • 2 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Family and friends of the late Jamie and Greg Blair gather at the Broken Heart Sculpture as they mark the one-year anniversary of the April 2020 murder rampage in rural Nova Scotia, in Truro, N.S. on Sunday, April 18, 2021.
Family and friends of the late Jamie and Greg Blair gather at the Broken Heart Sculpture as they mark the one-year anniversary of the April 2020 murder rampage in rural Nova Scotia, in Truro, N.S. on Sunday, April 18, 2021. PHOTO BY ANDREW VAUGHAN /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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TRURO, N.S. — Relatives of 22 people slain during a killer’s rampage in rural Nova Scotia gathered inside a church Sunday to take part in an emotional ceremony that honoured the victims one year later.
The sombre event at First United Church in Truro, N.S., which was livestreamed in lieu of being open to the public, began with a provincewide moment of silence.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared remarks through a pre-recorded statement, saying he wished he could have attended the service.
“Even a year later, I know there is no comfort for the anguish of having an adored parent or precious child torn away,” he said, standing in front of a row of Canadian flags. “So all I can say is this: You are not alone. All Canadians stand with you and grieve with you.”
The prime minister described one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian history as an act of evil that should not define the memories of those lost on April 18-19, 2020.
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“It will not define the communities that still grieve them,” he said. “Instead, we will remember the kindness and joy of each person taken from us … We will remember the strength of their families — families who shared with me stories I will never forget.”
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At the front of the church was a blue platform, upon which painted rocks displayed a single rose and the first name of each victim. At one point, relatives placed flowers next to each stone as each victim’s name was read aloud.
Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin told the congregation it was important for those experiencing great loss to come together and seek strength from their community.
“As you and our communities continue on the journey of healing, my hope is that you’ll be strengthened by the continued outpouring of support from Nova Scotians and people throughout the world,” he said.
The hour-long service was organized by a committee of the Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society, led by Jenny Kierstead, the sister of Lisa McCully — a neighbour of the gunman who was among the first killed on the night of April 18, 2020.
“We have all suffered so much this year that it is our intention to bring some light and beauty to our lives on this dark day,” she said in a pre-recorded statement.
“What we know is that a trauma such as the one that we’ve endured can shatter a person’s life. I know it has mine. May this ceremony help you hear the whisper of your own heart, calling you back home to the love, peace and the wholeness that resides within.”
Earlier in the day, hundreds of people took part in a series of
memorial walks and runs in and around Truro. Money raised from those events will help pay for a permanent memorial, the plans for which are still in the early stages.
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Organizer Denise Burgess said the events were aimed at healing and remembrance.
“We want to turn the lens away from what happened to who these people were,” she said in an interview Sunday. “It gives us a chance to reflect on their lives — that they were full, beautiful lives and they were wonderful, giving people who contributed to our community.”
In Truro’s Victoria Park, which is where the races ended, a large art installation pays tribute to the victims. Crafted by welder Wayne Smith, the statue features 24 hearts with the name of each victim, including an unborn child.
“There’s a bit of healing that takes place when we can make this for people,” said Burgess, a teacher in Truro whose students once included Emily Tuck, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student who was killed with her parents in Portapique on April 18, 2020.
The anniversary was also marked by a peaceful march to the RCMP detachment in nearby Bible Hill, where some protesters expressed their dismay with the Mounties’ response to one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history.
The RCMP’s commanding officer in Nova Scotia, Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, issued a statement Sunday saying the police force would observe a moment of silence at 2 p.m. on Monday.
“We understand people have questions and want to know as much as possible about the incidents,” Bergerman said, adding that a federal-provincial public inquiry will provide some answers.
“It is our hope that the Mass Casualty Commission will provide a full accounting of what happened for the families of the victims and the public.”
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The Mounties have confirmed that on the night of April 18, 2020, the killer assaulted his common-law spouse, set fire to several homes and proceeded to kill 13 people in Portapique, N.S., a rural community on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy.
Dressed as a Mountie and driving a car he modified to look exactly like an RCMP cruiser, the killer evaded police by driving through a field shortly after officers arrived at the chaotic scene some time after 10 p.m.
Having spent the night hiding at the rear of a welding shop in Debert, N.S., the killer resumed murdering people he knew and others at random before he was fatally shot by two Mounties at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., about 35 kilometres north of Halifax.
He had driven more than 150 kilometres during the 13 hours he was at large.
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Speculation about his motives has included evidence he was paranoid about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying at one point in an email he was glad he was well-armed because the pandemic would make people desperate “once the money runs out.”
As well, the RCMP have said a behavioural analysis revealed he was likely an “injustice collector,” whose grudges built up over time and eventually exploded in horrific violence.
The killer’s propensity for violence was well known among some of his neighbours in Portapique, who have come forward to say he had a long history of abusing his common-law spouse. She survived the mayhem in Portapique.
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Nova Scotia marks one year since mass shooting with memorial service
TRURO, N.S. — Relatives of 22 people slain during a killer’s rampage in rural Nova Scotia gathered inside a church Sunday to take part in an emotional ceremony…
terrible tragedy and wont be the last one.
... and? I saw a traffic accident yesterday, won't be the last one.. lets ban cars.
i will be sure to send you condolences when the traffic hits you and you fall down putting up christmas lights.
Don't ban the car. Sue the manufacturer for not making cars drunk proof.