At least 10 dead in Nova Scotia shooting rampage

A gunman in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia killed more than 10 people, including a police officer, during a 12-hour rampage, authorities said on Sunday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the shootings occurred in the small Atlantic coastal town of Portapique, about 80 miles from the provincial capital Halifax.

Portapique residents said the incident started late Saturday night, when police urged everyone to stay inside and lock their doors.

Over a 12-hour period, the gunman, reportedly wearing an RCMP uniform and driving a car made to resemble an RCMP vehicle, shot multiple victims in multiple locations in the province. As of Sunday, authorities said they were still looking for a motive and trying to establish the final death toll.

When it was over, the RCMP said the suspected gunman, Gabriel Wortman, 51, a denture maker from Halifiax, was dead after a car chase ending in the town of Enfield. Police emphasized that he was not a member of the RCMP.

One local resident said she had come across two burning police vehicles while out driving on Sunday morning.

"There was one officer we could see on scene and then all of a sudden, he went running toward one of the burning vehicles," Darcy Sack told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

"We heard gunshots," she said, adding that one police officer looked to have been injured.

"When police arrived at the scene, the members located several casualties inside and outside of the home," RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said at a news conference, CNN reported.

Leather said an overnight search for the suspect led them to several crime scenes miles apart. The suspect was eventually spotted late Sunday morning at a truck stop several miles away from a crime scene.

"The search for the suspect ended this morning when the suspect was located, and I can confirm that he is deceased," said Leather.

"Of course that's an important element in the investigation — the fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act," Leather said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking to reporters in Ottawa, deplored what he called "a terrible situation".

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil told reporters that "this is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province's history".

The RCMP identified the fallen officer as Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the force and a mother of two.

"Our hearts are heavy with grief and sadness today as we have lost one of our own," Brian Sauvé, president of the National Police Federation, said in a statement. "A second dedicated Member was injured in the line of duty today."

Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada, which has tighter gun control laws than the United States.

Gun ownership is relatively common in Canada. The country ranked fifth in a recent survey of civilian firearms per capita, but mass shootings are rare.

This weekend's attack was believed to be country's deadliest shooting since a gunman shot 14 women to death at Montreal's École Polytechnique in 1989.

Reuters contributed to this story.