The Mass Casualty Commission has published phone recordings of RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki expressing frustration that the Nova Scotia RCMP would not publicly discuss weapons used to killed 22 in the immediate aftermath of the massacre.
The recordings, which were believed to be lost, come amid allegations that Lucki pressured the RCMP to release the types of guns used in an April 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia that claimed 22 lives. It’s alleged Lucki wanted information about the weapons to be made public to advance the Liberal’s gun control agenda.
The phone calls occurred nine days after the horrific shooting.
In the newly uncovered recordings, Lucki said she felt frustrated when she learned the speaking notes used for an RCMP news conference earlier that day did not include a reference to the weapons as semi-automatic and assault-style.
“I felt completely disrespected by the fact that I was told that (RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell) was going to talk about the guns in his speaking notes, and it wasn’t there,” Lucki said. “I don’t know what happened, but I think we have to do better.”
“I know people are working as hard as they can. But we have a responsibility,” Lucki said.
In June, Lucki was accused of interfering with the Nova Scotia RCMP’s investigation into the massacre, allegedly at the request of former public safety minister Bill Blair and the PMO who were trying to pass gun control legislation. An RCMP officer alleged that Lucki had promised Blair and the PMO that specifics on the guns involved in the shooting would be released — which is in direct contrast to RCMP policy for ongoing investigations.
The recordings are split into three parts and can be found on the website for the Mass Casualty Commission, an “independent public inquiry” which was created to examine the tragic shooting.
In part one of these recordings, Lucki said:
“I’ve been in…involved in those kinds of investigations so I respect that. Um, but, it’s been difficult um, I also respect the fact that I’ve been involved in investigations where I get a daily sit rep [situation report], um, I’ve only gotten two sit reps in this entire flow of information. Um, I only found out today that Heidi was not carbine trained and that might have been something that we should’ve known as soon as um, some of those things come out.”
According to Lucki, RCMP officer Const. Heidi Stevenson, who was killed in the line of duty during the Nova Scotia shooting, was not trained by the RCMP to use a carbine weapon, which could have saved her life.
In part two, Lucki asked, “Does anybody realize what’s going on in the world of handguns and guns right now?”
In part three of the recordings, Lucki said it was disheartening for her “to try to manage our RCMP.” Lucki also expressed disappointment regarding her lack of ability to come through for the Prime Minister, saying “that we need to do better” and “um, not being able to come through for the Minister, um on – on the simplest of requests, um… I mean… uh, I feel bad even having this conversation.”
According to CBC, lawyers representing some of the family members affected by the shootings have also laid out alleged “failings” in the RCMP response to the massacre.
