The Canadian capital of Ottawa is in lockdown following a shocking incident in which a gunman managed to get inside Parliament buildings and open fire – with some shots coming right outside a room in which Prime Minister Stephen Harper was addressing caucus.
The extraordinary scene began to unfold when the unidentified assailant – apparently dressed entirely in black – arrived at Ottawa’s National War Memorial and gunned down a Canadian Soldier. The gunman then hijacked a car and drove the short distance (a matter of a few hundred metres) to Parliament Hill, open firing and managing to enter Parliament buildings.
Footage obtained by The Globe and Mail shows police respondents rushing into the foyer of Parliament and numerous loud bangs ringing out. Just as a warning, the footage is quite confronting.
The gunman had apparently run right past a closed room containing the Canadian Prime Minister and a number of high-ranking Government officials. People inside the building were told to barricade themselves inside offices and block doorways. Prime Minister Harper was later safely removed from the building, as the entire Parliament was placed into lockdown.
Three people were wounded during the shooting, with the gunman ultimately being fatally shot by the Parliament’s Sergeant-at-Arms – a largely ceremonial position not normally associated with armed security work.
The soldier shot at the memorial, Corporal Nathan Cirillo, was transported to hospital, but sadly died from his injuries.
The shooting occurred as the leaders of Canada’s three major political parties were holding their weekly meetings, leading some to speculate that the attack was deliberately timed. Prime Minister Harper had been considering introducing new anti-terrorism laws into Canadian parliament.
The Canadian capital of Ottawa remains on lockdown, with police searching for additional gunman. Though, at this stage, there is little evidence to suggest the presence of multiple suspects.
World leaders have been united in their condemnation of the attack.
Photo: Lars Harberg via Getty Images.
