N.S. gunman targeted some over perceived injustices, RCMP say

The gunman who killed 22 people in a mass shooting in northern Nova Scotia in April may have been an “injustice collector,” someone who felt slighted or cheated by others and then held onto those grievances until they boiled over in rage, RCMP officials said Thursday.

“Some recipients of his wrath or violence were targeted for perceived injustices of the past,” Supt. Darren Campbell told reporters Wednesday, describing the preliminary findings of a socalled psychological autopsy of the gunman. “Some were just random targets.” Dressed as a Mountie and driving a replica RCMP vehicle, Gabriel Wortman terrorized several rural communities over many hours on April 18 and 19, before being killed by police at a gas station.

During a public update on their investigation Thursday, RCMP officials addressed recent media reports that suggested authorities had received prior warnings about the gunman. Police agencies across Nova Scotia received a bulletin in May 2011 that the denturist had said he wanted “to kill a cop” and had a stash of guns.

Campbell said investigators have interviewed one RCMP officer at the time who had made several visits to the gunman’s residence.

“That officer was looking for signs … but didn’t see anything that would’ve caused him any concern,” Campbell said.

The bulletin was purged after two years, he said.

Chief Supt. Chris Leather said how the RCMP retains records, such as the bulletin, is being assessed as part of the investigation.

To date, more than 650 people have been interviewed across Canada and the U.S. as part of the investigation, RCMP said.