More than 18 hours to find five N.S. mass shooting victims was 'deficient': lawyer
A lawyer for families of victims killed in the Nova Scotia mass shooting says an 18-hour delay in finding five bodies of those murdered is a sign of "deficient" policing.
A study released Thursday by the public inquiry into the shooting quotes RCMP supervisor Sgt. Andy O'Brien stating "it did not occur" to him to drive to scenes other than locations where bodies were known to be and where fires had occurred in Portapique, N.S.
The public inquiry has said 13 of 22 victims were killed by the gunman in Portapique between about 10 p.m. and about 10:45 p.m. on April 18, 2020, when the killer escaped through a back road in his replica police car.
However, the study says it wasn't until 4:46 p.m. on April 19, 2020, that the bodies of Peter and Joy Bond and -- a few minutes later -- those of Aaron Tuck, Jolene Oliver and Emily Tuck were found on a small road called Cobequid Court at the southern end of the community.
Josh Bryson, a lawyer for the Bond family, says the RCMP fell short by failing to order a house-to-house canvassing of the homes in the small community sooner than they did, adding that police left desperate family members wondering about their loved ones' fates.
"It's deficient, it's not appropriate," Bryson said Friday in an interview. "It's not acceptable to us. You had members on hand .... There were no searches (in the morning).
"They didn't seem to consider that there might have been residents in homes who needed medical attention."
On the morning of April 19, 2020, emergency response team members were gradually evacuating the community. However, after a call came in at 9:30 a.m. of another shooting near Wentworth, N.S., those officers rapidly left Portapique in pursuit of the gunman. The inquiry heard Thursday that district commander Staff Sgt. Al Carroll and Sgt. O'Brien took charge of the Portapique area at this time, with constables under their command. Carroll left mid-morning, leaving O'Brien in charge.
Bryson said Bond family members had reached out to police via 911 seeking information the morning of April 19, but the requests didn't appear to make their way to Carroll.
Carroll testified on Thursday he didn't recall receiving "any messaging" from police dispatchers about these calls. He also said that he didn't expect that the houses would be searched, as it was up to the major crime investigators to take the next steps.
Const. Nick Dorrington told inquiry investigators he was ordered to look for "fatalities on front lawns" on April 19. The study says GPS records indicate his car stopped in front of the Bond house at 10:26 a.m. Dorrington's car was at the residence for about 30 seconds, but he didn't enter the home.
Bryson said he's left to wonder why the officer didn't approach the house. "Mr. Bond was in the front door deceased; the screen door was off its hinges, television was on; the lights were on. For someone to sit in the driveway, it's extremely upsetting and concerning," he said.
"There's no evidence to suggest they (the victims) were still alive, but it's very distressing to know your loved ones remained in the area with first responders in the vicinity, but they aren't being discovered," the lawyer added.
The theme of failures of communication has been prominent over the past week at the public inquiry hearings.
Carroll testified on Thursday that he didn't learn until 3:30 a.m. on April 19 that there were two key eyewitnesses who saw the killer and his replica patrol car at about 10:15 p.m. the previous night.
Bryson said the RCMP's communications shortcomings have emerged as a key revelation of the inquiry to date.
"A lot of this we can remedy, from my point of view, with better systems to convey information, which would be minimal in cost," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2022.
Correction
This is a corrected version. The original version said lawyer Josh Bryson represents both the Bond and Tuck families. In fact, Bryson only represents the Bonds.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.