Ottawa shooting: Soldier killed by ‘Islamic’ gunman

Police and paramedics transport a wounded Canadian soldier on October 22, 2014 in Ottawa, Ontario. Picture: Getty

A HUGE security operation had parts of Canada’s capital in lockdown last night after a gunman shot and killed a soldier at a war memorial, then opened fire in the parliament building.

Last night police confirmed the soldier, who was guarding the monument in the centre of Ottawa, died shortly after being shot at point-blank range. Two other people who were injured are being treated on hospital.

Canadian police are investigating a man named as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau as a possible suspect, a source said.

Two US officials said US agencies have been advised that the shooter was a Canadian convert to Islam. One of the officials said the man was from Quebec.

Ottawa police spokesman Chuck Benoit said authorities believe up to three gunmen were involved in the shootings, all within less than a mile from each other in downtown

Ottawa. He said one suspect had been killed and that a major search had begun to locate any others.

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He confirmed several buildings around the city remained in lockdown, with many people trapped indoors as the search for other gunmen intensified.

Police warned people in the area to stay away from windows and rooftops and asked them to not post videos or photos of the “ongoing incident” to ensure the safety of emergency services and the public.

Witnesses spoke of people fleeing the parliament by scrambling down temporary scaffolding erected for renovations, while others sought cover inside as police with rifles and body armour took up positions outside.

Video filmed inside the parliament building shows officers rushing down a large marble hallway with weapons drawn, before the sound of gunfire and shouting rings out. The footage becomes shaky as the cameraman, a local reporter, rushes for cover behind a pillar.

Senior government member Tony Clement said on Twitter that at least 30 shots were fired near the parliament while prime minister Stephen Harper was addressing Cabinet.

“I feared this day would come, and my prayers are with the fallen soldier,” Mr Clement added.

A spokesman for Mr Harper wrote on Twitter that the prime minister was “safe and has left Parliament Hill”.

Later, a photograph of chairs piled up against a door as a barricade was being heavily circulated on Twitter, apparently taken inside a meeting room in the parliament building.

Last night, MP John McKay described the moment the gunman attacked parliament: “There was a pop, pop, pop sound so the guards ushered us to the back of the building. How the gunman was able to walk down the hall of honour inside parliament with a rifle will become an area of investigation.”

The incident came hours after