Maine man who bought rifle later used in N.S. shootings lied to police about purchase

A person from Maine admitted to mendacity to an RCMP investigator concerning the day he went to a gun present and acquired a high-powered rifle with Gabriel Wortman, who used the carbine a yr later when he killed 22 folks in Nova Scotia, newly launched paperwork present. 

New particulars about how the shooter obtained firearms are included in a report launched Tuesday morning by the general public inquiry analyzing the April 2020 bloodbath. The gunman by no means had a firearms licence and smuggled three weapons into Canada from Maine. 

Transcripts of RCMP interviews, launched with out redactions for the primary time, make clear how the shooter bypassed licensed sellers and organized a non-public money sale of a Colt Regulation Enforcement-brand carbine 5.56-mm semi-automatic at a gun present in Houlton, Maine, in April 2019.  

Within the weeks after the shootings, police spoke with the gun’s sellers and Neil Gallivan, a person who lives exterior Houlton and went to the present with Wortman the earlier spring.  

‘I apologize … for the lies’

Gallivan initially claimed in an interview with RCMP Sgt. Fraser Firth that he did not keep in mind particulars of that Saturday morning, denied going to the occasion with Wortman after which backtracked a number of occasions throughout the interview. 

Gallivan had beforehand spoken to U.S. investigators. Finally he admitted to going to the present with Wortman, who he’d identified for 20 years. 

“I attempted to save lots of my very own pores and skin as a result of I knew that was going to be huge bother,” he stated to Firth about his earlier denials. “I apologize for the ah, for that — for the lies.”

It’s unlawful for an American to switch, promote, commerce, give, transport or ship a firearm to somebody they know just isn’t a U.S. resident, however a CBC Information investigation discovered fees appear unlikely for many who offered the gunman a few of his weapons.

Gallivan was a lifelong pal of Sean Conlogue of Houlton. Each males informed police they met Wortman by means of Tom Evans, a now-deceased lawyer from Fredericton. Through the years, all of them hung out collectively at a camp 40 kilometres south of the border city.

Conlogue has admitted he was the supply for 2 handguns the shooter seems to have used. Conlogue has stated he gave one as a present, and informed police Wortman took the opposite from his dwelling.

However whereas particulars have beforehand emerged about these two weapons, the information launched Tuesday supply extra details about the semi-automatic rifle.

In his RCMP interview, Gallivan went on to clarify that on April 27, 2019, he stopped at Conlogue’s dwelling to see about going to the present collectively. However since Conlogue was recovering from a surgical procedure and Wortman was staying there to assist, Gallivan went with the shooter as an alternative.

It appears Wortman admired the gun within the morning however was unable to purchase it, so he and Gallivan returned to the world round midday, at which level Gallivan purchased it for money in a non-public sale. 

“It was fast and type of soiled actually. And I introduced the gun again and gave it to Sean,” Gallivan stated, based on a transcript. 

‘You are promoting him out’

In his RCMP interview, Gallivan was adamant that Conlogue handed him about $1,250 US money for the “AR rifle” and he thought he was doing his pal a favour by shopping for it.  

At one level he speculated that Wortman stole the rifle from Conlogue, however then stated he did not know the way the gun ended up in Nova Scotia. 

“I would not promote it to [Wortman] anyway, I’d by no means try this… how would he get it throughout the border?” Gallivan stated at one level. “I did nothing fallacious all alongside, simply attempting to be a very good pal to everyone.”

Firth pressed him for the reality, stating that Conlogue was principally bedridden on the time on account of his surgical procedure. 

“You are promoting him out if you happen to stroll out of this room and make it seem like Sean … had extra involvement,” Firth stated. 

The RCMP wouldn’t have jurisdiction to implement U.S. legal guidelines and Firth informed Gallivan the Mounties have been “not all in favour of pursuing Canadian fees towards you.” Earlier the identical day, an RCMP investigator had informed Conlogue they weren’t seeking to maintain him accountable.

Primarily based on feedback made by the Mounties in each interviews, they have been in ongoing contact with American investigators whereas conducting their very own interviews in Maine.

Gallivan maintained that after the acquisition all of them regarded on the gun collectively at Conlogue’s dwelling and that later they visited Gallivan’s property and Wortman practised taking pictures it. 

Conlogue, in his RCMP interview, stated he didn’t keep in mind a lot concerning the day on account of his well being points. He stated Wortman paid for the gun and he noticed him counting cash at a desk in his dwelling. He didn’t point out going to Gallivan’s. 

Gallivan stated he knew the scenario he was in with police was “his personal rattling fault” and repeatedly stated he had no concept what Wortman was able to. Close to the top of his RCMP interview, he suggests he did give the gun to Wortman.

“I discovered the gun, I gave it to … Gabriel and he killed folks with it. That is terrible,” Gallivan informed RCMP. “I by no means had intention of this transpiring that manner.”

Little paperwork 

One of many gun present’s organizers informed CBC Information that each one licensed sellers promoting firearms needed to conduct FBI background checks, however the public inquiry discovered the particular person promoting the carbine did not try this and had restricted paperwork. 

Two males spoke to police about promoting the rifle. Certainly one of them had been the gun’s proprietor and a second man, Don Dematteis, was serving to on the gun present sales space.

Dematteis later recognized Wortman to police as a person who had approached him within the morning about shopping for the gun. He stated he refused to promote it as a result of the potential purchaser admitted he did not reside in Maine, based on a abstract of his interview launched by the general public inquiry. 

He recalled that a number of hours later he offered the rifle to a person in his 60s who had a Maine licence. Dematteis stated he gave the customer a receipt however did not keep in mind taking his identify. 

Police recovered the semi-automatic carbine from the stolen Mazda 3 the gunman was driving when he was killed in Enfield, N.S. They discovered the gun’s change selector was set to fireplace. It was outfitted with a flashlight and an over-capacity journal that held 25 rounds. 

The general public inquiry discovered that primarily based on forensic evaluation, the gunman used the rifle a number of occasions throughout the killing rampage.

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