While Mounties tweeted, U.S. consulate directly warned Americans about Nova Scotia shootings

While an active shooter rampaged through Nova Scotia on Sunday, the U.S. Consulate in Halifax warned American citizens there directly of the danger – while local police posted about the threat only on social media, according to Canadian media reports. 

Both sets of warnings came while alleged shooter Gabriel Wortman was at large and in the midst of a violent spree that left 23 dead, and property burned to the ground, at 16 crime scenes, Canadian officials have said. 

One warning came via email from the consulate. The other was on Twitter from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 

The consulate directly told citizens to shelter in place, according to a notice that also was posted on the consulate website.

“The public is asked to avoid Portapique Beach Road, Bay Shore Road, Five Houses Road, and the surrounding areas and stay in their homes with doors locked at this time for their safety,” read the Sunday morning emergency message. 

The incident began at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, in what police believe was an attack by the suspect on his girlfriend, who escaped. The alleged suspect was killed the next day, at about 11:40 a.m. 

In the aftermath of the 12-hour spree, Canadians criticized the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for not using a cellphone emergency alert system that previously told them to remain isolated on Easter during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What took so long?” one person tweeted. “The shooter was on the run for 13 hours and the US Consulate found the time to warn their citizens.”

“Canada failed miserably warning NS residents, whereas US Consulate warned all US Citizens living in NS by email about this deadly rampage,” tweeted another.

During a Wednesday news conference, RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather described a delay based on bureaucratic discussions about whether to send the message, and what it would say.

By 11:40 a.m. on Sunday, while the RCMP reportedly was deciding how to word a direct message to local residents, the alleged suspect was killed by police.

The U.S. Consulate, meanwhile, said that it swiftly sent out a warning after the Mounties posted Sunday morning on social media. 

“The information we used in our emailed alert to U.S. citizens on Sunday was taken from the Nova Scotia RCMP’s Twitter account,” U.S. Consulate General spokeswoman Marcia Seitz-Euler told media. “It is our protocol  – when emergencies occur –  to alert U.S. citizens in the area to the situation.”