**Warning: The following story contains graphic details.
The RCMP officer who was one of 22 people murdered in the Nova Scotia mass shooting died in an exchange of gunfire with the killer.
The public inquiry into the 13-hour rampage that unfolded in April 2020 is hearing more details about the death of Constable Heidi Stevenson.
New documents have been released by the Mass Casualty Commission describing the events that took place on April 19th when two RCMP officers encountered Gabriel Wortman near Shubenacadie.
Inquiry lawyer Anna Mancini provided a timeline of the events.
At around 10:44 a.m., a witness reported a possible sighting of Wortman’s replica police cruiser travelling south on Highway 2 in Brookfield. Stevenson quickly moved to provide backup to Constable Chad Morrison who was stationed in the area.
Aerial photograph of the intersection of Highway 2 and Gays River Road, looking approximately
east – image is taken from drone footage filmed by Mass Casualty Commission (August 26,
2021)
Morrison spotted a Ford Taurus police vehicle heading his way and used his radio to determine if it was Stevenson, who replied “that’s me.”
When Morrison made a U-turn to get ready to greet Stevenson on Gays River Road near Highway 2, he realized the driver was actually Wortman.
His car had a push bar. Stevenson’s cruiser was not equipped with one. Wortman pulled a gun and fired shots out the driverside window.
Morrison told investigators he “floored it” to escape.
“I’m shot! I’m shot! Southbound on Number 2. Southbound on 2 taking the Shubie. I’m shot,” Morrison radioed. “It’s the suspect vehicle. It’s him!”
Mancini says Morrison had wounds to both of his arms and was shot in the chest, but his body armour protected him.
Morrison drove to an EHS Paramedic Base in Milford.
While awaiting help, he managed to stash his gun behind the building in a swampy area after realizing his injuries would prevent him from firing it.
The inquiry reports he was worried Wortman would follow him. Before long, an ambulance took Morrison to the hospital.
Stevenson rushes to help Morrison
GPS data shows Stevenson hit the gas when she heard Morrison had been shot, rushing to his last known position.
She was racing to get there when Wortman rammed her vehicle head-on with his replica cruiser at 10:49 a.m. at the Cloverleaf intersection
Stevenson grabbed her pistol and began shooting, firing off 14 rounds before Wortman killed her and stole her gun.
The commission reports forensic evidence at the scene indicates Stevenson likely got out of the vehicle and faced the replica police cruiser during the shootout.
“It’s not my place to comment on the degree of professionalism and courage that Cst. Stevenson demonstrated that morning, but I think her actions reflect this more poignantly than any words that I could say would,” Inquiry lawyer Anna Mancini said on Monday.
Stevenson’s portable radio was activated four times during the exchange, capturing the sounds of shots fired but no words.
Aerial photograph of Shubenacadie cloverleaf, looking approximately northwest. (SOURCE: Mass Casualty Commission)
The commission says evidence also suggests Stevenson clipped Wortman on the right side of his head, causing a skull fracture.
Bullet fragments from her gun were linked to his wound. Witnesses also reported seeing Wortman bleeding from his head.
Joseph Webber tries to help
Joseph “Joey” Webber woke up that morning telling his partner about the events that had transpired in Portapique the night before based on details he had seen on Facebook.
Wortman had killed thirteen people in the small rural community.
Webber went out to run errands and grabbed gas for his Ford Escape at a service station in Milford at around 10:30 a.m.
When he left, he crossed paths with the crash between the cruisers.
One witness said he immediately got out of the car, running to help, while another described him as a “good samaritan.”
Wortman directed Webber into the back seat of the replica cruiser and shot him. He then took out gas cans and lit the cruiser on fire.
The flames engulfed both vehicles. He drove away in Webber’s car.
Photograph provided by Elaine Mosher-Whitman to Mass Casualty Commission. At 10:54 a.m. on April 19, 2020, Mosher-Whitman took a photo of the perpetrator just
before he entered Webber’s SUV and drove away.
Investigators interviewed 27 people who witnessed the events.
Wortman would later be shot and killed by police at the Enfield Big Stop. The inquiry examining the murders resumes on Wednesday.
