Page de couverture de The First Survivor

The First Survivor

Life with Canada's Deadliest Mass Shooter

 Aperçu

1 mois d'essai gratuit à Audible Standard

8,99 $/mois à la fin de l’essai. Annulation à tout moment.
Essayer pour 0,00 $
Autres options d’achat
Acheter pour 20,87 $

Acheter pour 20,87 $

À propos de cet audio

An unflinching memoir that reframes a national tragedy and demands we reckon with the cost of ignoring intimate partner violence.

On April 18, 2020, Lisa Banfield's life shattered.

After nineteen years in a controlling and often abusive relationship, she escaped a violent assault by her partner, Gabriel Wortman–unaware he was about to carry out the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. In The First Survivor, Banfield tells her story for the first time: of being groomed and surviving years of intimate partner violence, and of the horrific night she fled barefoot into the freezing woods as Wortman began a murderous rampage that left twenty-two people and an unborn child dead.

Told with raw honesty and courage, Banfield's memoir is more than a personal account of life with a man she tried to heal–it's a call to action. With intimate reflections and her own transformation, she exposes the failures in how society sees, supports, and judges survivors of domestic abuse.

This is a powerful story of trauma, survival, and one woman's journey reclaiming her voice and redefining her life.

©2026 Sutherland House Books (P)2026 Sutherland House Books Meurtre Sciences sociales True Crime Survie
Tout
Les plus pertinents
Ok, a paragraph repeats and the reading wasn’t 100% perfect but that doesn’t detract from the overall quality of this book, it is truly a powerful story. Lisa was a victim and is not deserving of judgement or scrutiny. I’m glad her therapy has made such a positive difference in her life. People saying she should have came out of the woods, ya right, would you have? The people saying he was looking for her. Why did he throw all the guns on the front seat when she was trapped in the back? He was going on a spree, period. Was he still “ looking for her” the next day when his rampage continued? This is not her fault!! Of course I feel for the victims and their families. Their anger and resentment should go towards the shooter and towards some of the RCMP that completely mishandled this tragic event. Why he did this is not complicated in my opinion. Rage anger and self loathing from his childhood and formative years. He unleashed his rage on innocent people that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lisa also showed integrity in reporting the hidden money. She could have easily kept it a secret and retrieved it at a later date to keep all for herself. He was “going out with a bang.” This was all planned. I believe he was going to go on his murder spree with Lisa in the back of the replica cruiser. Make her watch. Perhaps even kill some of her family with Lisa forced to witness, then at the end murder Lisa and turn the gun on himself. Glad she made it out alive

Powerful Story

Un problème est survenu. Veuillez réessayer dans quelques minutes.
Not edited very well. Repeats itself once. Exactly same paragraph read twice. Would have loved to hear more about victims. Writer is a victim but seems to before the attack and after feel sorry for herself. Not much of a survivor. She is a survivor!! But seems to want to drown in her mistakes

So much death

Un problème est survenu. Veuillez réessayer dans quelques minutes.
This disturbing yet truthful account of Lisa Banfield’s life living with a monster, paints the picture with clarity. The writing is well done and organized in a time line that helps paint the picture of the chaos of that fateful day and leading up to.

There have been Neah sayers and conspiracy theories around Lisa’s involvement, this book tells the truth with her own voice. Along with her very supportive sisters-
-Vulnerable yet strong and ready to tell all to clear up rumours and speculations.

The heartbreaking story offers hope to women living in domestic violence and also opens up the dialogue how easily someone can be manipulated in this way.

The family paid respect to the victims who lost their lives in a kind and deserving way. It is my hope that by reading this book, there will be less judgment, more understanding so healing ca begin for all people involved in this tragic incident.



It gives a chilling account of the truth and clears up any doubts or misconceptions.

Un problème est survenu. Veuillez réessayer dans quelques minutes.