N.S. mass shooting inquiry report must deliver 'clear commentary': family lawyer
CTV
A lawyer who represents Nova Scotia mass shooting victims' families said in an interview they are hoping "for clear commentary on what things went wrong and what things ought to have been done better or differently."
On July 22, 2020, about three months after a gunman murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia, a procession of grieving relatives marched to the local RCMP detachment, demanding an independent and open inquiry into the rampage.
Nick Beaton, who lost his pregnant wife Kristen Beaton in the April 18-19, 2020, killings, wore a sign with a photo of his young son kissing Kristen. "I miss my Mommy," it read. "We deserve answers and the truth."
On Thursday, Beaton and others who pressed for answers will see the result of their demands as a federal-provincial inquiry -- which was announced a week after the 2020 demonstration in Bible Hill, N.S. -- delivers its final report.
Sandra McCulloch, a lawyer who represents 14 of the victims' families, said in an interview Tuesday they are hoping "for clear commentary on what things went wrong and what things ought to have been done better or differently."
The mass shooting began in the tranquil community of Portapique when a 51-year-old Halifax denturist assaulted his spouse, loaded his illegal firearms into in a replica RCMP vehicle and began shooting his neighbours. Thirteen people died that night, as houses set on fire by the killer created a nightmarish glow over the wooded area.
The killer managed to escape, and on April 19, nine more people were gunned down, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson -- whose car was struck by the mass killer's vehicle as she responded to a call for help from a fellow officer.
The gunman was killed by two members of the Mounties' emergency response team at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., about 13 hours after the first deaths.
