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Families of N.S. shooting victims ‘extremely upset,’ considering leaving inquiry
July 7, 2022 By The Canadian Press
July 6, 2022, Halifax, N.S. – Families of victims of the Nova Scotia mass shooting are pondering whether to continue participating in the public inquiry into the tragedy because key witnesses are being shielded from cross-examination.
The inquiry said last week that the spouse of the man who killed 22 people wouldn’t have to answer direct questions from families of victims because she is a survivor of the murderer’s violence and had already been interviewed by inquiry investigators.
Michael Scott, whose law firm represents 14 of the families, says his clients are “extremely upset” by the decision and are reconsidering their participation in the public inquiry.
The inquiry has said its mandate requires it to be sensitive to the needs of people most directly affected by the killings.
Some lawyers for the families boycotted proceedings in May after the inquiry prevented cross-examination of two of the staff sergeants who oversaw the early response to the mass shooting.
The rampage through multiple Nova Scotia communities on April 18-19, 2020, by a gunman driving a replica RCMP vehicle resulted in 22 murders, including of a pregnant woman.
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