A man who discovered his brother’s body during the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting has died by suicide after years of battling post-traumatic stress disorder.
Clinton Ellison’s suicide in Fredericton on May 19 was confirmed by his stepfather, Wayne Smith. Smith said Ellison was deeply traumatized by the shooting that killed 22 people in April 2020, and his mental health deteriorated over time.
Ellison and his brother Corrie were visiting their father in Portapique, N.S., on April 18, 2020, when they heard gunshots and saw flames from a home the gunman had set on fire. Corrie went outside to investigate and was fatally shot. Clinton later found his brother’s body by the road and hid in the woods for hours until police arrived.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988, Canada’s national suicide prevention hotline.