Canadians are being warned to brace for the retelling of the country’s worst mass shooting in modern history at a public inquiry today.
The mass casualty commission will provide a chronological description of the tragedy that claimed the lives of 22 people in rural Nova Scotia in April 2020.
Barbara McLean, lead investigator for the federal-provincial inquiry, says the detailed account of the killings comes after more than a year of interviews with witnesses.
She says the inquiry will reveal the events in a sequential way to help clarify how the gunman moved through the community.
McLean says the information, particularly the frightened 911 calls of residents, will be “disturbing” to hear.
Thirteen of the 22 victims were murdered in Portapique by a gunman driving a replica RCMP vehicle and wearing a police uniform; he went on to kill nine other people, including a pregnant woman and an RCMP officer, in Debert, Shubenacadie and Wentworth.
Issues that have remained unclear since the killings include what was reported during the 911 calls and the shooter’s precise route.
Some outstanding questions are expected to be dealt with in Monday’s documents, while other details could emerge later this week.
This story by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2022.
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