CANADA - shooter in RCMP vehicle & uniform, 22 killed (plus perp), Portapique, NS, 18 April 2020 #2

[Errrr]

Not sure we’ve got the whole picture on the car driving through the field. Since GW kept the mock up cruiser at his property on Orchard Beach Rd, how did he get from his house over there? Did his gf see him driving his regular vehicle through the field over to Orchard Beach Rd from the woods where she was hiding or did someone else see him driving the cruiser through another field to get to #2? Also, the man that was shot and reported to LE that the man who shot him was driving a police cruiser, was he shot on Portapique Beach Rd or Orchard Beach Rd? I’m not clear on where that happened.

I wonder if he drove to Or hard beach to get his cop car, and after setting more fires and a blockade at Portapique & Orchard Beach, the only field available for escape would be near the north end across to Brown Loop.

 

[susiQ]

Here’s a great article about his criminal profile from a former FBI guy

Nova Scotia shooter was likely ‘grievance collector,’ says former FBI profiler

Thanks TrishLiv! That pretty much sums this monster up. And the question remains, what does one do in an attempt to change the outcome after identifying such an one? Are these people even "fixable"?

 

[JuneBug67]

I agree. From experience, shooting a handgun accurately at a target more than 25yds requires both training, competency, and fine motor skills. Doing the same with moving targets, even more so. Even if sober, this is NOT an easy task, without extensive training and practice. If GW was under the influence of alcohol, IMO there would have been significantly fewer lives lost.

This leads to one of my (many) unanswered questions... If presented only with the body count and the lack of injured people, a logical conclusion is that the killer had extensive training. So, where did GW learn, train, practice handgun shooting, and with whom? Without his PAL license, it would not have been at an established range. There is a huge missing piece to this puzzle and I am certain that the RCMP investigation is actively pursuing the answer to this question also.

He showed up with one of the long guns at the home where the would be victim known to him hid inside and called 911. If his preferred weapon was an automatic or semi-automatic rifle when he was on foot and had both hands free, he probably could have done quite a bit of damage even under the influence.

I wonder if we’ll ever get a BAC measure from him. They would have to have drawn a sample pretty quickly. The combination of his known alcohol issue, the fact that it was Saturday night at a social gathering, the extreme conflict with his gf and the seemingly impulsive decision to set on a course from which there was no coming back makes me think there is a reasonable chance alcohol was a factor.

As far as training and practice go, he was almost certainly the type to desire and seek an expertise in shooting. I wonder how common target practice for fun would be in the Portapique area? Would gunshots be ignored or draw concern and investigation? Maybe some rural Nova Scotians could weigh in.

 

[Bravo]

Thanks TrishLiv! That pretty much sums this monster up. And the question remains, what does one do in an attempt to change the outcome after identifying such a one? Are these people even "fixable"?

IMO No. Nature/Nurture. Sometimes one or the other or a bit of both. Speaking to those who kill. Some dont. They are simply happy to make your life he77.

 

[susiQ]

He showed up with one of the long guns at the home where the would be victim known to him hid inside and called 911. If his preferred weapon was an automatic or semi-automatic rifle when he was on foot and had both hands free, he probably could have done quite a bit of damage even under the influence.

I wonder if we’ll ever get a BAC measure from him. They would have to have drawn a sample pretty quickly. The combination of his known alcohol issue, the fact that it was Saturday night at a social gathering, the extreme conflict with his gf and the seemingly impulsive decision to set on a course from which there was no coming back makes me think there is a reasonable chance alcohol was a factor.

As far as training and practice go, he was almost certainly the type to desire and seek an expertise in shooting. I wonder how common target practice for fun would be in the Portapique area? Would gunshots be ignored or draw concern and investigation? Maybe some rural Nova Scotians could weigh in.

Seeing that his gf had spent a number of years with him, I figure she'll be the one to fill in many of the blanks we're left with right now. She will have the most to say about who he was as a man. He was without a doubt a really sick man, but one that managed to operate within society with some normalcy, so that no one saw this coming. He was by all accounts obsessive/compulsive in all aspects of his personal and professional life. To be able to kill so many, so quickly, he no doubt applied that same precision to his marksmanship that he did with everything he put his hands to. He was a "perfect storm"

 

[MistyWaters]

Thanks TrishLiv! That pretty much sums this monster up. And the question remains, what does one do in an attempt to change the outcome after identifying such an one? Are these people even "fixable"?

I’d bet most of personally know a “grievance/injustice collector”. They’re the sort of people who just can’t seem to ever let go, the past becomes their present. Their bitter animosity often morphs from a single person into an entire entity (they’re all the same!) - the police, bylaw officers, an employer, a government department, a political party or municipal council etc. The longterm accumulation of grievances, the memories, all remain as fresh in their minds as if everything occurred only yesterday. Even the most petty issues become major personal attacks towards only them, as if whatever entity they’re “fighting” is actively plotting to make their life miserable.

Nobody can be fixed unless they want to be. Their thought process has become well worn and they probably think everyone else is crazy for not jumping on their bandwagon of hatred and anger. Those who I know like this, I keep my distance or change the topic of conversation the minute they attempt to go there because I know where it will lead. Otherwise they’re just ordinary people with other positive character traits. Unfortunately the internet has made it worse IMO because “collectors” are able to feed off total strangers who also share their yearning toward sole focus on negativity.

I think GWs girlfriend will require years of therapy in order to move forward with her life and be able to see the sun shine again, now that’s she free from her despicable partner.

 

[Marysmith]

IMO No. Nature/Nurture. Sometimes one or the other or a bit of both. Speaking to those who kill. Some dont. They are simply happy to make your life he77.

Unfortunately I agree. With the personality disordered, as IMO is the case with the perp here, they are sooo difficult to treat. Firstly, they have to want help, admit that the way they think of the world is disordered and really work hard on changing their perceptions.

 

[Marp]

I agree. From experience, shooting a handgun accurately at a target more than 25yds requires both training, competency, and fine motor skills. Doing the same with moving targets, even more so. Even if sober, this is NOT an easy task, without extensive training and practice. If GW was under the influence of alcohol, IMO there would have been significantly fewer lives lost.

This leads to one of my (many) unanswered questions... If presented only with the body count and the lack of injured people, a logical conclusion is that the killer had extensive training. So, where did GW learn, train, practice handgun shooting, and with whom? Without his PAL license, it would not have been at an established range. There is a huge missing piece to this puzzle and I am certain that the RCMP investigation is actively pursuing the answer to this question also.

In addition to being so lethal with his guns, he seemed to know how to commit arson. So many destroyed houses, two of which were destroyed on Sunday morning away from Portapique. I expect that all the houses were wooden structures and that since there are no gas lines in that area, many would be heating with propane in tanks but he must have known how to set these fires so successfully so that it took days to identify some of the remains inside. There was a reference in an article on the other thread to a land dispute with a neighbour perhaps over land boundaries and that a shed was burned down containing the neighbour's things.

Also, and this a very long shot: There is a reference to *** purchasing a piece of property adjacent to his Portland Street Office/Residence after the building had burned down and turning that into a parking lot. I can't find easy access to a report on that fire but maybe someone knows how to find the details of the fire and ***'s purchase of that property.

 

[Marp]

Here are the two articles which refer to earlier fires and ***.

Nova Scotia shooting: shock and surprise at killings by denturist
"Another neighbour told the Toronto Sun that he and Wortman had been friends until they fell out over a piece of property.
The neighbour, who declined to give his name, said Wortman had burned an old shed that contained some property that belonged to the neighbour but declined to give any further details of the dispute."

‘He didn’t hide this vehicle’: Nova Scotia killer’s fixation with police was on full display
"Many years ago, when there was a structure fire next door, the neighbour said Wortman acquired the property and turned it into a parking lot."

 

[otto]

Here are the two articles which refer to earlier fires and ***.

Nova Scotia shooting: shock and surprise at killings by denturist
"Another neighbour told the Toronto Sun that he and Wortman had been friends until they fell out over a piece of property.
The neighbour, who declined to give his name, said Wortman had burned an old shed that contained some property that belonged to the neighbour but declined to give any further details of the dispute."

‘He didn’t hide this vehicle’: Nova Scotia killer’s fixation with police was on full display
"Many years ago, when there was a structure fire next door, the neighbour said Wortman acquired the property and turned it into a parking lot."

He seems to be an opportunist, always looking to capitalize and profit off others. By providing free dentures to a cancer survivor in 2014, he fooled people into thinking that he was a generous and kind community member. If he burned the building next to his denture clinic, he probably seemed like a hero buying the empty lot. When his uncle needed bridge financing during a real estate deal, he must have seemed like an angel at first. It's almost as though he was carefully crafting a persona of a generous caring person, while at the same time he was scheming to profit off others in need.

 

[Marysmith]

He seems to be an opportunist, always looking to capitalize and profit off others. By providing free dentures to a cancer survivor in 2014, he fooled people into thinking that he was a generous and kind community member. If he burned the building next to his denture clinic, he probably seemed like a hero buying the empty lot. When his uncle needed bridge financing during a real estate deal, he must have seemed like an angel at first. It's almost as though he was carefully crafting a persona of a generous caring person, while at the same time he was scheming to profit off others in need.

This is classic narcissistic personality disorder.

 

[Peace777]

Is it known if the shooter's gf was also suffering from hypothermia after being in the woods for some 8+ hours?

I wonder how far in the bush she hid? If close enough to hear firetrucks and police vehicles why not come out and tell the police what her boyfriend/killer was driving then? Hindsight is 20/20 I know. She was the only witness left alive to give the description of what he was driving and wearing right? JMO

 

[Tilly23]

It's far enough away that it was ample time for a police broadcast to occur with a description of the car he stole at that scene so RCMP would have been aware of him being in the general area, already had his photo from that morning. Combined with the tidbit of car colour and type, and eyes wide open on the alert for him, the RCMP did well. I think, it's also far enough away, that they were scanning the faces of any persons in vehicles of that colour they saw by the time of the final encounter.

Indeed; that's one of the things that has me to believe that the new vehicle colour and description had already been broadcast by the time the tac team pulled into the station to refuel. I think the car drew their attention first, then, even without knowing he had changed his clothing, they recognized that evil face.

I can see from the RCMP NS twitter account that they did tweet identifying that the suspect was driving a silver Chevy Tracker:

RCMP, Nova Scotia on Twitter

But wasn't he driving GG's red Mazda 3 by the time he showed up at the gas station?

MOO

 

[MistyWaters]

In addition to being so lethal with his guns, he seemed to know how to commit arson. So many destroyed houses, two of which were destroyed on Sunday morning away from Portapique. I expect that all the houses were wooden structures and that since there are no gas lines in that area, many would be heating with propane in tanks but he must have known how to set these fires so successfully so that it took days to identify some of the remains inside. There was a reference in an article on the other thread to a land dispute with a neighbour perhaps over land boundaries and that a shed was burned down containing the neighbour's things.

Also, and this a very long shot: There is a reference to *** purchasing a piece of property adjacent to his Portland Street Office/Residence after the building had burned down and turning that into a parking lot. I can't find easy access to a report on that fire but maybe someone knows how to find the details of the fire and ***'s purchase of that property.

Good point! Just wild speculation but it sure wouldn’t surprise me if he’d been a volunteer fireman at some point in his life as well....who set some of the blazes and went without notice.

 

[MistyWaters]

I can see from the RCMP NS twitter account that they did tweet identifying that the suspect was driving a silver Chevy Tracker:

RCMP, Nova Scotia on Twitter

But wasn't he driving GG's red Mazda 3 by the time he showed up at the gas station?

MOO

No, not red.


https://nationalpost.com/news/who-w...enturist-behind-the-nova-scotia-mass-shooting

 

[Satchie]

This is classic narcissistic personality disorder.

I'm sorry, but, as before, I feel I want to register my disagreement because it is so often repeated on Websleuths. IMO, NPD is widespread and possibly a made-up diagnosis for self-centredness, but violent rampages are very serious and very rare.

Narcissism can lead to rage against an intimate partner, but IMO something much more complex is happening to cause the mass murder of neighbours, friends and colleagues.

"As I know from my violence risk assessments, the presence or diagnosis of a personality disorder alone is not sufficient to predict violence"
Narcissism, Rage, and Murder

 

[Satchie]

I wonder how far in the bush she hid? If close enough to hear firetrucks and police vehicles why not come out and tell the police what her boyfriend/killer was driving then? Hindsight is 20/20 I know. She was the only witness left alive to give the description of what he was driving and wearing right? JMO

I think the answer to that might be the same answer to the question of why she stayed with him.

 

[MistyWaters]

I wonder how far in the bush she hid? If close enough to hear firetrucks and police vehicles why not come out and tell the police what her boyfriend/killer was driving then? Hindsight is 20/20 I know. She was the only witness left alive to give the description of what he was driving and wearing right? JMO

There could be lots of reasons, one that this horrible creature had the girlfriend totally convinced all his actions were her fault so she was hiding in fear. There’s no such thing as a normal application of logic when one is in a longterm relationship with a crazy, dangerous person such as he, who was most probably a psychopath. Usually the only way such a relationship endures is if the partner’s thought process gets turned upside down - inside out and at that point it’s very difficult for the partner to exit the relationship and self-preservation becomes paramount (as opposed to happiness).
JMO

 

[Marysmith]

I'm sorry, but, as before, I feel I want to register my disagreement because it is so often repeated on Websleuths. NPD is widespread and possibly a made-up diagnosis for self-centredness, but violent rampages are very serious and very rare.

Narcissism can lead to rage against an intimate partner, but IMO something much more complex is happening to cause the mass murder of neighbours, friends and colleagues.

"As I know from my violence risk assessments, the presence or diagnosis of a personality disorder alone is not sufficient to predict violence"
Narcissism, Rage, and Murder

I just meant doing something appearing selfless, such as offering free dentures, but clearly advertising that, and then having a very cruel side as well.

 

[paganini]

Re. the aerial shot of the field: Maybe. Can someone provide the time of that sighting? I haven't seen it. Also, I've been plotting things on google maps, and there are plenty of back ways for him to have gotten around during the night. If he took back ways, it would have taken him 45 minutes to an hour to get to the Hunter Street address. I'm not sure at the moment if he went to Glenholme (knock on the door) before or after that.

In addition, his alcohol use has been mentioned a lot, and there was a "party". Perhaps it isn't a stretch to think he'd had something to drink. Given the adrenaline attached to what he had done, and perhaps shock, maybe he was deciding what to do next, and maybe he slept a few hours.