The number of deaths in Nova Scotia following Canada's worst mass shooting is climbing.
The RCMP reported Tuesday afternoon that the death toll in the weekend rampage has increased to 23, including the shooter. The incident is the deadliest in the country's history since the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal.
Investigators are now trying to comb through at least 16 different crime scenes, five of which included burned-out buildings. These are spread between rural communities such as Portapique, Debert, Milford, Enfield, and Wentworth.
Among the confirmed dead are RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year veteran of the agency. Another RCMP officer, an 11-year veteran, was wounded but is expected to recover.
The RCMP is acting on the notion that one man acted alone and investigators confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the 51-year-old suspect was killed by police.
Police said they received 911 calls late Saturday evening of an active shooter in the area of Portapique. When officers arrived at the scene they discovered multiple victims inside and outside of the home.
Later Sunday morning, police reported that the suspect may have been driving a vehicle that looked like an RCMP cruiser and was wearing what appeared to be an RCMP uniform. It was originally reported that the suspect was taken into custody near Enfield Sunday afternoon.
In another development, the RCMP conceded that it did not know why an emergency alert was not sent out during the incident. Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said Tuesday that the RCMP would have been the agency responsible for activating the alert, which operates similar to the alert system in Ontario.
---with files from Ruby Sweeney