news // no. 4 Tragic shooting in Nova Scotia >» Motives still unknown Tania Arora Staff Writer Was the globe was dealing with the havoc caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, bullet shots were echoing in Nova Scotia. On April 18, police received emergency calls of a suspect on a killing rampage. Twenty-three people (including the murderer) have been reported to be dead at the hands of Gabriel Wortman, a 51-year-old denturist. It all began from the small town Portapique in the region where the killer, who some theorize was triggered by a domestic violence dispute, burnt his own house and drove towards his ex-partner’s residence. The murderer allegedly set fire to frve homes with residents inside them. Victims include a Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) officer, an elementary school teacher, health-care workers, a retired firefighter, and two corrections officers—the youngest victim being a 17-year-old teenager. His ex- girlfriend was his first victim, but she survived the attack by hiding in the woods overnight. The murderer reportedly wore a near- identical police uniform and drove a vehicle Taking temperature » April 27 COVD-19 update James Vogl The Ubyssey (CUP) ere are 50 new cases of COVID-19 and three new deaths from the virus in BC since Saturday, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 1,998. Currently there are 97 people with the virus who are hospitalized, of whom 36 are in critical care. In the briefing, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry discussed the ongoing outbreaks in the province as well as what business owners can expect in terms of guidelines for reopening as public health measures are relaxed. Henry reported two new long-term care outbreaks in the Fraser Health Authority, bringing the total number of outbreaks in long-term care centres in the province to 21. Following a broad testing push at the federal correctional facility in Mission that saw a number of new cases confirmed late last week, there have been no new cases reported since Sunday. There are 106 inmates and 12 staff associated with the facility who have tested positive for the virus. There are now 25 confirmed cases related to the Superior Poultry plant and 34 related to the United Poultry plant. Henry emphasized again that anyone returning to BC from the Kearl Lake industrial plant in Alberta or who has been in close contact with a worker from that camp who is ill must self-isolate for 14 days. There are 11 people in the province connected to that camp who have tested positive for the virus. With both the federal government and provincial governments across the country preparing plans to relax public health measures in the coming weeks, both Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix said that the province will be taking a “made in BC” approach to its plan that will reflect the regional differences between BC’s pandemic and other’s experience of the pandemic. which appeared to be similar to a police cruiser even though he was not employed by RCMP. The disguise helped him move around without being detected. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released an official statement on the death reports, “I was saddened to learn about the senseless violence in Nova Scotia, which claimed the lives of multiple people, including one member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Cst. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the Force,” he said. “Our hearts go out to the people who have lost loved ones, and to the RCMP family mourning a fallen Dix continued by stressing that the province is seeking to balance a number of different priorities in crafting its plan, including public health and economic concerns, and the need for people to be able to safely socialize. Henry said that business owners who have had to close in response to the province's restrictive public health measures can expect more detailed guidelines for reopening in the coming days. In the meantime, business owners can look to the guidance that has been issued for retail and theotherpress.ca Collage of shooting victims via CBC officer. I also hope for a full recovery for the people who were injured, including one RCMP member who is in hospital being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.” He also thanked the first responders for their support throughout the situation considering the current circumstances. CCTV footage released by one of the residents had the murderer where he had stopped his car a few hours before he was killed. He was seen changing his clothes before he proceeded. Police are still investigating the entire incident and trying to find out what was the motive behind the shooting. grocery stores, and industrial camps for an idea of what to expect. Henry stressed that given the scale of testing the province is undertaking, the diminishing number of daily positive cases is a good sign for the effectiveness of the measures that have been taken to date. “I think you can see from these numbers, despite the community outbreaks that we're seeing, it’s clear evidence that our sustained efforts to follow public health measures are working here in BC.”