RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson was one of 22 people killed in a shooting spree in Nova Scotia. (Photo: Nova Scotia RCMP/Submitted)
The RCMP have issued a statement on the one-year anniversary of Nova Scotia’s mass casualty.
The force has faced criticism for its response to the shootings, in particular, for not issuing an emergency alert to the public.
Below is the statement from Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, Commanding Officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP.
The devastating incidents of April 2020 in our beautiful province have had profound and far-reaching effects.
The gunman’s actions were directed at innocent people, and no one has felt this more than the families of the victims. Their lives have changed in ways that most will never understand, and our hearts are with them during this difficult time.
Tomorrow at 2 p.m. the Nova Scotia RCMP will observe a moment of silence to honour victims, including Constable Heidi Stevenson, and their families.
This moment of silence is a remembrance for everyone we lost and a tribute to their memory.
RCMP employees across the province, as community members and as those who serve Nova Scotians, are remembering and honouring the victims in their own ways.
Well over 100 RCMP employees were part of the response on April 18 and 19, 2020, and hundreds more have been involved in the investigation and behind the scenes.
We’ve all been touched in some way, and when you have a personal connection to victims, as many of our employees do, the incidents bring multiple emotions.
We understand people have questions and want to know as much as possible about the incidents.
Charges related to the investigation are currently before the courts and we are participating fully in the Mass Casualty Commission, which is underway.
It is our hope that the Mass Casualty Commission will provide a full accounting of what happened for the families of the victims and the public.
A year later, RCMP employees in communities across the province continue to serve Nova Scotians with professionalism and pride.
