Canadian soldier shot dead as Parliament goes into lockdown amid shootings
A gunman has shot and killed a Canadian soldier standing guard at a war memorial in Ottawa, then entered parliament, where numerous shots rang out, police and witnesses said.
A Canadian official identified the dead Ottawa gunman tonight as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.
Police in Ottawa say they believe there is more than one gunman after shots were fired in the capital including at the Canadian parliament.
Ottawa Hospital said it had received three victims from the shootings.
Two of the patients are in stable condition, the hospital said.
But it would not comment on the status of the third patient, a soldier who was shot at the war memorial.
A government minister has said that the soldier has died of his wounds.
"Condolences to family of the soldier killed and prayers for the parliamentary guard wounded. Canada will not be terrorized or intimidated," employment minister Jason Kenney said on Twitter.
Condolences to family of the soldier killed, & prayers for the Parliamentary guard wounded. Canada will not be terrorized or intimidated.
— Jason Kenney 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@jkenney) October 22, 2014
Tony Zobl, 35, said he witnessed the soldier being gunned down from his fourth-floor window directly above the National War Memorial, a tall granite cenotaph, or empty tomb, with bronze sculptures dedicated to those who died in the First World War.
“I looked out the window and saw a shooter, a man dressed all in black with a kerchief over his nose and mouth and something over his head as well, holding a rifle and shooting an honour guard in front of the cenotaph point-blank, twice,” Mr Zobl told the Canadian Press news agency.
“The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle.”
Mr Zobl said the gunman then ran up the street toward Parliament Hill.
Canada raised its domestic terror threat level from low to medium yesterday because of “an increase in general chatter from radical Islamist organizations,” said Jean-Christophe de Le Rue, a spokesman for the public safety minister.
Officials also cancelled two events in Toronto honouring Pakistani teenager and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, including one in which she was supposed to receive honorary Canadian citizenship.
AFP are reporting that the Canadian soldier shot in Ottawa has died.
One Parliamentary guard was shot in the leg and is OK in hospital, House of Commons security officer tells us. Another was shot in pantleg.
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) October 22, 2014
The wounded soldier was taken away in an ambulance. His condition is not known.
We are hearing banging in the Parliament building but security very calm. Sounds like maybe battering rams being used to open doors.
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) October 22, 2014
Shots have been fired at three places in Ottawa including the Canadian parliament, according to police.
— Kathryn Blaze Baum (@KBlazeBaum) October 22, 2014
Constable Marc Soucy said there have been shots fired at the National War Memorial, where a soldier was wounded, on Parliament Hill and near the Rideau Centre Mall.
All three sites are within less than a mile from each other.
Police remain crouched, guns drawn, behind concrete posts as of 11:50 AM near war memorial pic.twitter.com/ChRgeAXTks
— Bill Curry (@curryb) October 22, 2014
He said it started at the war memorial and that it is still unclear whether there is more than one shooter. No arrests have been made.
“Most of downtown Ottawa is in lockdown,” Constable Soucy said.
— Kathryn Blaze Baum (@KBlazeBaum) October 22, 2014
Police say at least one shooter has been killed, but they are hunting for as many as three suspects.
. Pic: AP
Royal Canadian Mounted Police warned people in downtown Ottawa to stay away from windows and rooftops.
#RCMP advises if you are in downtown Ottawa to stay away from windows and off roofs due to ongoing police incident.
— RCMP (@rcmpgrcpolice) October 22, 2014
People fled parliament by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations, witnesses told the Canadian Press news agency.
Officers ducked down behind police car east of War Memorial pic.twitter.com/cN1uY9Q4iG
— Bill Curry (@curryb) October 22, 2014
Police in Ottawa say that all of their buildings remain in lockdown and are closed to the public.
Police have moved the crowd further east away from Hill. Situation appears tense. pic.twitter.com/R5OBCDZazN
— Bill Curry (@curryb) October 22, 2014
Emergency responders are still on the scene and paramedics took the wounded soldier away in an ambulance.
Shots fired at War Memorial at 9:52am today; one person injured. More details to come when avaialble #ottnews.
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) October 22, 2014
The top spokesman for prime minister Stephen Harper said Mr Harper was safe and had left Parliament Hill.
Parliament shooting a very active situation still at the moment. They are searching the building, presumably for a suspect or suspects.
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) October 22, 2014
Tony Clement, a senior government member of parliament, tweeted that shots were fired near where cabinet was meeting. He said he was safe but still at risk.
Shots fired during caucus meeting. at least 30 shots. MPs piled out. I'm safe with 2 colleagues but we're still at risk...
— The Hon. Tony Clement (@TonyclementCPC) October 22, 2014
The shooting comes two days after a recent convert to Islam killed one Canadian soldier and injured another in a hit-and-run before being gunned down by police.
We are still sort of in a holding pattern. They appear to be still searching but situation definitely calmer than it was
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) October 22, 2014
The suspect had been on the radar of federal investigators, who feared he had jihadist ambitions and seized his passport when he tried to travel to Turkey.
