Wednesday, October 22, 2014
One gunman is dead, police confirm, following a shooting incident on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, today that killed a Canadian Forces guard at the National War Memorial. This occurs after two Canadian Forces members were struck two days ago by a vehicle reportedly driven by a jihadist sympathizer, leaving one member dead.
Reports from witnesses state that after shooting the soldier, the gunman seized a car and drove to the nearby Centre Block building, where witnesses report several shots fired. Members of Parliament and other witnesses inside Centre Block report inside this building the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms shot and killed the gunman. Authorities noted another vehicle parked in a no parking zone at the nearby Langevin Block with no rear license plate, and sent explosive detection robots to the area.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was evacuated from Parliament and briefed on the situation, while various facilities throughout Ottawa, including downtown schools, were placed into lockdown.
Members of caucuses for the Conservative, Liberal, and New Democratic parties were holding regularly scheduled weekly meetings inside the Centre Block at the time of the lockdown, and were held in place in their respective offices.
Some witness accounts suggested one or more additional attackers; police did not confirm whether this was so.