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| Canadian soldier killed as Ottawa thrown into turmoil by shooting | Canadian soldier killed as Ottawa thrown into turmoil by shooting |
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| The Canadian capital, Ottawa, was thrown into turmoil on Wednesday when a gunman shot dead a soldier guarding the national war memorial before storming into the parliament, sending politicians and staff members diving for cover as gunfire rang out. | The Canadian capital, Ottawa, was thrown into turmoil on Wednesday when a gunman shot dead a soldier guarding the national war memorial before storming into the parliament, sending politicians and staff members diving for cover as gunfire rang out. |
| In scenes unlike any Canada has witnessed in its modern history, MPs barricaded themselves into a parliamentary caucus room by piling furniture against the doors, while others fled the building by clambering down scaffolding erected for repair work. Police went from room to room in parliament, breaking down some doors to check if anyone was hiding inside. | In scenes unlike any Canada has witnessed in its modern history, MPs barricaded themselves into a parliamentary caucus room by piling furniture against the doors, while others fled the building by clambering down scaffolding erected for repair work. Police went from room to room in parliament, breaking down some doors to check if anyone was hiding inside. |
| Initial reports suggested there was more than one gunmen at large, fuelling the air of panic. But reports of a shooting at a shopping mall turned out to be unfounded and the Ottawa police chief, Charles Bourdeleau, said it was unclear whether the gunman – shot dead inside the parliament building – had acted alone or with accomplices. | Initial reports suggested there was more than one gunmen at large, fuelling the air of panic. But reports of a shooting at a shopping mall turned out to be unfounded and the Ottawa police chief, Charles Bourdeleau, said it was unclear whether the gunman – shot dead inside the parliament building – had acted alone or with accomplices. |
| The Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, was hustled away from Parliament Hill and was safe, a spokesperson confirmed. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside parliament, where Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings. | The Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, was hustled away from Parliament Hill and was safe, a spokesperson confirmed. Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside parliament, where Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings. |
| The sergeant-at-arms, Kevin Vickers, who normally plays only a ceremonial role in parliament, reportedly shot the gunman in parliament. | The sergeant-at-arms, Kevin Vickers, who normally plays only a ceremonial role in parliament, reportedly shot the gunman in parliament. |
| A member of parliament, Craig Scott, tweeted: “MPs and Hill staff owe their safety, even lives, to Sergeant at Arms Kevin Vickers who shot attacker just outside the MPs’ caucus rooms.” | A member of parliament, Craig Scott, tweeted: “MPs and Hill staff owe their safety, even lives, to Sergeant at Arms Kevin Vickers who shot attacker just outside the MPs’ caucus rooms.” |
| Justin Ling, a freelance political reporter, speaking from inside the parliament building, said: “I was heading back down to my office when one uniformed police officer tore past. To my right, the stairwell door burst open. One member of parliament frantically told me that there was active shooter in the building. I took off down the hall, into a nearby room.” | |
| Ling reported multiple shots inside the building. “At one point, standing next to the fire escape, we heard a series of loud bangs. Five or six in rapid succession. We scattered around the room and took cover. A few were loudly praying. A few others were laughing nervously,” he said. | Ling reported multiple shots inside the building. “At one point, standing next to the fire escape, we heard a series of loud bangs. Five or six in rapid succession. We scattered around the room and took cover. A few were loudly praying. A few others were laughing nervously,” he said. |
| In the area around the parliament building, some workers fled their offices while others were advised to lock themselves in and stay away from windows. Squads of police in body armour made their way through the streets with their guns drawn searching for any assailants still at large. | In the area around the parliament building, some workers fled their offices while others were advised to lock themselves in and stay away from windows. Squads of police in body armour made their way through the streets with their guns drawn searching for any assailants still at large. |
| The Globe and Mail news website reported a police officer yelling to journalists to move away from the Rideau shopping centre, shouting: “Move down! There’s an active shooter! If you want to die, stay here. If you want to live, keep moving!” Police later said there were no shootings at the mall. | The Globe and Mail news website reported a police officer yelling to journalists to move away from the Rideau shopping centre, shouting: “Move down! There’s an active shooter! If you want to die, stay here. If you want to live, keep moving!” Police later said there were no shootings at the mall. |
| The attack appears to have started at about 9.50am when a black-outfitted gunman drove up in a car to the war memorial in downtown Ottawa. | The attack appears to have started at about 9.50am when a black-outfitted gunman drove up in a car to the war memorial in downtown Ottawa. |
| “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,” a witness, Tony 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.” | “The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle.” |
| Pictures taken of the site showed a woman trying to keep the soldier alive with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but he died shortly after being taken to hospital. He was reported to be a reservist serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. | |
| “This is a sad and tragic day for our city and our country,” Ottawa’s mayor, Jim Watson, said in a press conference after the shooting. “Our city has lived through tragedy before. This is a different kind of tragedy – its causes not yet known.” | “This is a sad and tragic day for our city and our country,” Ottawa’s mayor, Jim Watson, said in a press conference after the shooting. “Our city has lived through tragedy before. This is a different kind of tragedy – its causes not yet known.” |
| The shooting happened as Canada was already tense, two days after Martin Couture-Rouleau, a recent convert to jihad ideology, ran down two soldiers with his car, killing one, before being shot dead by police. The government had previously confiscated his passport when he had attempted to fly to Turkey, where he was suspected on trying to join Islamic extremists fighting in Syria. | |
| On Tuesday, Canada raised its domestic terror threat level from low to medium because of what the public safety ministry described as “an increase in general chatter from radical Islamist organisations”. The raising of the threat level followed a decision by the Canadian government to take part in the allied air campaign against the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq and deployed two warplanes and a refueller aircraft to flight sorties from Kuwait. Canada already has a small number of special forces soldiers in Iraq. | |
| After the shooting started in central Ottawa on Wednesday, the prime minister, Stephen Harper, was driven away from Ottawa’s Parliament Hill where he had been due to meet with the Pakistani children’s rights campaigner and Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for attending school, was due to have been awarded honorary Canadian citizenship. The events were cancelled. | After the shooting started in central Ottawa on Wednesday, the prime minister, Stephen Harper, was driven away from Ottawa’s Parliament Hill where he had been due to meet with the Pakistani children’s rights campaigner and Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for attending school, was due to have been awarded honorary Canadian citizenship. The events were cancelled. |
| President Obama conferred with Harper by telephone shortly after the attack. “Canada is one of the closest friends and allies of the United States,” the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, said. “Officials inside the US government have been in touch with the Canadian government to offer their assistance, and that includes in the White House.” |