Former RCMP officer testifies that warning tweet in N.S. mass shooting took too long
A former RCMP officer told a Nova Scotia public inquiry on Tuesday that a tweet warning the public about the mass shooter driving a replica police vehicle should have been sent immediately after he ordered it, not two crucial hours later.
Retired Staff Sgt. Steve Halliday testified that he was assigned to notify the public on April 19, 2020 that the gunman was continuing his rampage in a vehicle marked to look exactly like an RCMP cruiser. The killer murdered 22 people over two days in central and northern Nova Scotia.
Halliday said he delegated this task to Staff Sgt. Addie MacCallum at the command centre in Great Village, N.S., at about 8 a.m. that day, with the "expectation that that was going to take place in the immediate future."
However, the tweet with a photo of the mock RCMP vehicle wasn't published until 10:17 a.m., too late to warn victims murdered in the Debert and Shubenacadie areas.
Halliday said he received the full description of the replica vehicle after the spouse of the killer emerged from the woods of Portapique, N.S., after 6:30 a.m. and her family members sent images of the car to police. He said RCMP supervisors dispatched officers to the killer's two addresses in Portapique to see if two burned Taurus vehicles matched the spouse's descriptions of the suspect's replica police car.
He said that by 7:55 a.m. on April 19, 2020, he had learned the burned cars didn't contain weapons or match features described by the spouse, adding that he said he had concluded the replica car was still unaccounted for.
According to an exhibit shown at the inquiry into the mass shooting, Halliday wrote in his notes, "We are concerned ... there is a possibility he may be on the run in a fully marked RCMP (car)."
"This has to be communicated out to the (RCMP) members, all municipal agencies, police departments and border crossings and we have to get it out to the public as soon as possible," he added in the note.
During his testimony on Tuesday, the former officer said he was thinking at that time that the public had to be notified, adding that he assigned MacCallum to speak with communications officials and "get that out."
The inquiry heard that at 9:40 a.m., a draft tweet showing the replica car was emailed by the RCMP's communications team to MacCallum for approval, but at that point MacCallum had jumped into a car to race toward the last sighting of the killer near Wentworth, N.S.
Another email was sent to Halliday at 9:45 a.m., but he was also busy dealing with the latest effort to capture the killer and he testified that he only approved the tweet for publication at 9:49 a.m.
"Do you know why this wasn't done shortly after 8 a.m., as you had thought it would be taken care of?" asked Josh Bryson, a lawyer who represents the family of two victims.
"No, I don't know," Halliday replied.
A summary of the command decisions made by senior RCMP officers released on Tuesday suggests the members of the inquiry haven't been able to get to the bottom of what caused the delays. The summary says inquiry investigators are still looking into the involvement of the second-highest ranking officer in the province, Chief Supt. Chris Leather.
"The information available to the Mass Casualty Commission on the consideration of a media release (regarding the perpetrator's replica RCMP cruiser) by members at the command post is at times unclear and in some places in conflict," the document said.
"Investigation is ongoing into the role of Chief Superintendent Leather ... in relation to the release of information about the replica RCMP cruiser."
Asked whether the delays in approving the tweet were acceptable, Halliday agreed with Bryson's suggestion that they weren't. "I would agree the sooner that information is out, the better," Halliday said.
According to a commission summary, referred to as a foundational document, at 8:02 a.m. on April 19, 2020 -- almost 10 hours after the shooter killed his first victim -- the Mounties issued a tweet declaring an "active shooter situation" in Portapique. However, the tweet didn't mention the suspected getaway car or that the perpetrator could be anywhere in the province.
The RCMP sent their next tweet at 8:54 a.m., identifying Gabriel Wortman as the killer. It also provided a photo of him, but the car's description wasn't released.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.