A soldier was reportedly shot while guarding the War Memorial
Updated Wednesday 3 p.m. ET
Ottawa Police said Wednesday afternoon that a member of the Canadian Forces is dead after being shot at the city’s National War Memorial just outside Parliament earlier in the day. One male suspect was also confirmed dead, the police said, in what appears to have been an armed assault in the heart of Canada’s capital city. Police have not said if the dead suspect was responsible for killing the soldier or if any other suspects remained at large.
“Today is a sad and tragic day for our city and country,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said Wednesday afternoon.
At least one gunman entered Parliament Wednesday morning about the time of the soldier’s shooting, witnesses told the Associated Press, while some later heard shots fired from within the building. Parliament was in session during the incident. A Globe and Mail reporter captured this footage of shots firing out as police swept Parliament following reports of the soldier’s shooting: (warning: footage is violent but not graphic)
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quickly evacuated from the scene, the Globe and Mail reports. Harper was scheduled to meet with Pakistani youth education activist Malala Yousafzai in Toronto Wednesday, but that meeting has since been canceled.
The Ottawa Police at first said there were three separate shooting events, but later reduced that number to two.
Ottawa police said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon that the situation is “fluid” and “ongoing,” giving few details beyond what has already been reported. They have asked the public to remain “vigilant,” and are warning people in downtown Ottawa to stay away from windows and rooftops until the situation returns to normal. Those outside downtown Ottawa are being advised to stay away from the area.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday that U.S. President Barack Obama was briefed on the incident Wednesday morning in the Oval Office by Homeland Security Advisor Lisa Monaco. U.S. officials have been in close contact with their Canadian counterparts to offer assistance, Earnest added. Obama and Prime Minister Harper spoke on the phone Wednesday afternoon.
Earnest said that he was “not in a position to render judgement” whether the shootings were a terrorist attack. He added he was “unaware” of any changes being made to the domestic threat level or the security posture at U.S. government facilities, though NORAD said earlier it had gone on “high alert” after the shootings.
Wednesday evening’s National Hockey League game scheduled to see the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs was postponed in light of the incident, the NHL said Wednesday.
– With reporting from Zeke J. Miller
