The country is still reeling over the mass murders in Nova Scotia, that also claimed the life of a RCMP officer, and there’s now questions as to why the province’s emergency alert system wasn’t used.

While the situation was unfolding, Mounties used their twitter account to send out warnings and updates but not province wide cell phone alerts

Denis Simard is the President of the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada and while on the NL Morning News, said when front line officers are in the midst of an active shooter, they’re not thinking of alerts or twitter.

“The stress level goes through the roof and when you’re there, the ability to focus, to keep focusing, to control your breathing and to be able to always think rationally and to keep and open view and to look at the big picture all the time, it’s kind of a tough process,” he said.

Simard knows what he’s talking about because he’s been there.

“I can tell you, I’ve been in some of those situations and it is tough to keep and open mind, not to develop that tunnel vision where you can only see what’s right in front of you and nothing else,” he noted.

“Did that play a roll in the decision that was made? Again, I don’t know but I can tell you some of those symptoms, some of those factors that play a roll in decision making are definitely possible.”

Simard says the investigation will look at why the alert system wasn’t used but wouldn’t speculate what the outcome might be.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the death toll in Nova Scotia rose to 23. Police were combing through 16 crime scenes, including five building fires, noting that bodies were recovered at three of those fire scenes.