N.S. shooting victim Lillian Hyslop 'always had a smile,' loved walking

Lillian CampbellHyslop, one of22 victims in the weekend shootings in Nova Scotia, loved walking the roads and parks around her home in the Wentworth, N.S., area, and would often do a workout after her walk ended.

"She always had a smile. Every time she'd met us, she was happy and cheerful and friendly," Debi Atkinson, who lived in the area, told CBC'sAs It Happens.

"She was a wonderful person."

The 22 victims were killed during a 12-hour rampage that began late Saturday in the small community of Portapique, N.S.,about 40 kilometres south of Wentworth. The gunman was killed after being intercepted by police officers about 100 kilometres south in Enfield, which is north of Halifax.

Atkinson said Hyslop and her husband, MichaelHyslop, had wanted to retire in the beautiful Wentworth Valley.

The couple was always volunteering in the area, including to help serve dinners up at the rec centre.

Gave the best hugs

In her obituary, the 65-year-oldis described as a mother who "lived her life with grace and kindness."

"A true adventurer, she lived, worked, and explored Canada from sea to sea to shining sea," it reads. "She was courageous, generous, determined, quick-witted and gave the best hugs."

Her obituary says she and her husband retired to Nova Scotia from Whitehorse, Yukon in 2014 and enjoyed going to the many beautiful beaches for day trips.

"She embraced her new province with her usual vitality creating a beautiful home and garden, exploring many of the beautiful sights and taking in new activities, while connecting with the warm people of Nova Scotia."

Hyslop's neighbour,Heather Matthews, remembers her as a kind, quiet lady with great community spirit.

Matthews was out walking with her husband on Sunday morning when they heard a loud sound nearby. The couple later learned this was likely the gunshot that killed Hyslop.

"It's very surreal. That's the only word I can think it just doesn't seem real," Matthews told CBC News Network on Tuesday.

Matthews said although she and her husband had been taking their walks along the Valley Road lately, on Sunday he suggested a path between the road and a river that's sheltered by trees.

WATCH |Friend of Lillian Hyslop reflects on the tragic events that took her life:

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Heather Matthews lost her friend Lillian Hyslop in the murderous rampage in Nova Scotia; she feels a stronger alert system could have saved lives.

Part way through their journey, Matthews said they heard a "shot of some kind" coming from the direction in front of them, but saw nothing, so they kept walking for another 45 minutes or so.

They returned home to many phone calls from their neighbours warning them to lock their doors and stay inside, since the RCMP were looking for a shooter in the area.

'We could easily have been next'

It was a few more hours before they were able to tell police what they had heard. Matthews said an RCMP officer told them they were "very lucky" they chose not to walk down the road where Hyslop was shot.

"We could easily have been next," Matthews said.

The sheer randomness of the murder has shocked their small community, Matthews said, since anyone could have been walking or biking along the Valley Road on a warm Sunday morning.

Matthews said she spoke to Hyslop the day before she died, as she was returning from a walk.

They chatted about how peaceful things had been inthe area since COVID-19 restrictions were keeping traffic down.

"The very next day we hear that that quietness is shattered," Matthews said.

Emergency alert questions

In the wake of the tragedy, Matthews said she feels very stronglythat an emergency alert should have been sent directly to people's phones, rather than having RCMP share updates on Twitter.

If they had gotten an alert, Matthews said she and her husband wouldn't have gone out walking that morning, and Hyslop might have also stayed home.

"Many people might have been spared," she said.

It's been especially difficult dealing with Hyslop's death given the pandemic restrictions on physical distancing, Matthews said. All she'd love to do is give her neighbours a hug, to share in their "sorrow and their shock."

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Heather Jean Jordan of St. George's-in-the-Pines Anglican Church arranged a series of songs for the bells. She played them April 20 to honour those killed in the mass shooting in Nova Scotia.

Atkinson said not many people in hercircle have Twitter accounts, so it wasn't until 10 a.m. AT on Sunday that she got a message from someone letting her know about the active shooter.

She called Hyslop's mother-in-law first to warn her, who said she would pass the message to Hyslop.

Atkinson later learned the message got to Mike Hyslop that his wife should not go out for her regular walk but she had already gone.

'People should have been made aware'

Like Matthews, Atkinson feels the community should have gotten an emergency alert.

"From the night before, people should have been made aware. And everybody that we've spoken with feel the same way, that we went into this blind," Atkinson said.

"But unfortunately, it's too late."

If you are seeking mental health support during this time,here are resources available to Nova Scotians.