Shooting locks down Canadian parliament: Soldier, one suspect reported dead

Canadian police say they are investigating three shooting incidents

OTTAWA: A soldier who was shot at a war memorial at the start of an attack by one or more gunmen on Canada's parliament has died of his wounds, a government minister said.

"Condolences to family of the soldier killed and prayers for the parliamentary guard wounded. Canada will not be terrorized or intimidated," employment minister Jason Kenney said on Twitter.

Condolences to family of the soldier killed, & prayers for the Parliamentary guard wounded. Canada will not be terrorized or intimidated.

— Jason Kenney 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@jkenney) October 22, 2014

A gunman shot a soldier in Ottawa and then entered the country's parliament buildings chased by police, with at least 30 shots fired, according to media and eyewitness reports on Wednesday.

CBC TV said that a suspected gunman was shot dead inside the parliament building. It was not clear if he was acting alone. Ottawa police said they were actively looking for one or more suspects.

Parliament was locked down and Prime Minister Stephen Harper had left the building safely as police converged on the area. As the situation developed, CBC News said in a tweeted news alert that more shots were fired near parliament and the gunman was still at large.

Police and tactical teams converged on the area, crouching behind police cars and along fences. Police cleared streets around parliament and cleared people from the area, shouting "it's still active.

"People in downtown Ottawa should stay away from windows and off roofs due to an "ongoing police incident," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police cautioned in a statement The wounded soldier was taken into an ambulance where medical personnel could be seen giving him cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

The shooting comes two days after an Islamic convert ran down two Canadian soldiers with his car, killing one, near Montreal, before being shot and killed by police.

A construction worker on the scene told Reuters he heard a gunshot, and then saw a man dressed in black with a scarf over his face running towards parliament with a gun.

The man stopped a black car at gunpoint and hijacked it, construction worker Scott Walsh told Reuters. The driver got out safely, then the man drove the car to the Centre Block on Parliament Hill, where construction work is underway.

The suspected gunman rushed past a woman with a child in a stroller, who ran away screaming. He did not attack the woman or child, Walsh said.

Centre Block is the main building at Parliament Hill, a sprawling complex of buildings and open space in downtown Ottawa.

It contains the House of Commons and Senate chambers as well as the offices of some members of parliament, senators, and senior administration for both legislative houses.

A Globe and Mail reporter in Centre Block on Parliament Hill tweeted that the building was under lockdown after "at least one shooter burst in and opened fire".

One member of parliament, Mark Strahl, tweeted from inside parliament: "Very tense situation in Ottawa this morning. Multiple gun shots fired outside of our caucus room. I am safe and in lockdown. Unbelievable."

Ottawa police investigating three shooting incidents

Canadian police are investigating three shooting incidents that took place in Ottawa on Wednesday: one at the Canadian war memorial, one at Parliament Hill, and one near a nearby shopping mall, Ottawa police said.

"Incidents occurred at National War Memorial, near the Rideau Centre and Parliament Hill this morning," Ottawa Police said on their Twitter feed.

All three locations are within a few hundred meters (yards) of each other in downtown Ottawa.

US, Canada air defenses on alert after Canada shooting

US and Canadian air defenses were placed on heightened alert after a shooting in Canada's parliament, US officials said Wednesday.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) "is taking appropriate and prudent steps to ensure we are adequately postured to respond quickly to any incidents involving aviation in Canada," said a US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Canada PM says parliament, government must function despite attacks

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper voiced determination that Wednesday's shooting in the capital not deter the government and Parliament.

"While the prime minister stated that facts are still being gathered, he condemned this despicable attack," a statement from the prime minister's office said after a soldier at the National War Memorial was shot and killed and shots rang out inside the Parliament building.

"The prime minister reiterated the importance of the continued functioning of the government and our Parliament."