Canadian Soldier Killed in Attack at Parliament Hill in Ottawa

mangaloretoday.com/ NDTV

Ottawa, Oct 22:  At least two gunmen traumatized the heart of the Canadian government Wednesday, with one shooting a soldier guarding the National War Memorial and then entering the adjacent Parliament building, where multiple rounds were fired. Shooting also was reported at a nearby shopping mall.

Police officers rushed to secure the Parliament building and move occupants to safety as they hunted for what Canadian news reports said were possibly two or three assailants, in what had the appearance of a coordinated attack.

 

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported that one assailant was killed. The condition of the soldier who was shot was not immediately clear.

The shootings began about 10 a.m., just as the leaders of Parliament were holding their weekly meetings, suggesting the possibility of deliberate timing. Many of the lawmakers were rushed into secure rooms in the basement by guards.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper had been inside Parliament at the time of the shooting but was evacuated safely, Canadian news reports said. The entire area, known as Parliament Hill, was placed on lockdown as police reinforcements arrived.

The Ottawa Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police warned the public in a Twitter post to "stay away from the downtown Ottawa area."

Witnesses reported seeing the gunman who shot the soldier running into the House of Commons, firing dozens of rounds. The assailant’s identity and motive were not clear.

It was also unclear whether any other people were hurt, but an Ottawa bus converted to a medical treatment unit was seen moving to the area.

Journalists covering Parliament were ordered by police officers at gunpoint to lie on the floor in the foyer in front of the House of Commons, The Globe and Mail reported on its website. The Globe and Mail’s correspondent, Josh Wingrove, said in a series of Twitter posts that the hallways were filled with the smell of gunpowder.

At least 10 Royal Canadian Mounted Police squad cars converged on Parliament Hill’s Centre Block, as heavily armed officers wearing bulletproof vests went into the complex.

The shootings in the heart of the normally placid Canadian capital came two days after a hit-and-run crash in a small Quebec city that killed one Canadian soldier and injured another. Authorities considered it an act of terrorism. 


’Canada Will Never be Intimidated,’ Prime Minister Stephen Harper


Canada’s prime minister vowed Wednesday to redouble the nation’s fight against "terrorist organizations" after a soldier was gunned down in the capital and parliament was stormed by an assailant.

"Canada will never be intimidated," Stephen Harper told the nation in a televised address.

"In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts and those of national security agencies to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats and keep Canada safe here at home," he said.

Likewise, it will "lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts and fight against the terrorist organizations who brutalize those in other countries with the hope of bringing their savagery to our shores," he added.

"They will have no safe haven."