Shootings in multiple locations in Canada's capital today - Wed Oct 22/14

by Heaven 53 Replies latest social current

  • Heaven
    Heaven

    One soldier is shot at War Memorial. Multiple shooters suspected. National Post has live updates:

    http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/10/22/soldier-shot-outside-of-parliament-at-national-war-memorial-active-shooter-believed-to-be-on-the-loose/#1

    Soldier shot outside of Parliament, one gunman ‘killed,’ but ‘multiple shooters’ suspected

    John Ivison, Justin Ling, Josh Visser, Jake Edmiston, National Post Staff | October 22, 2014 | Last Updated: Oct 22 1:45 PM ET
    More from National Post Staff

    A soldier has been shot at the Cenotaph in Ottawa on October 22, 2014. Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia News A soldier has been shot at the Cenotaph in Ottawa on October 22, 2014.

    Ottawa shooting wounds Canadian soldier at War Memorial

    A soldier was shot at the National War Memorial by an unknown assailant Wednesday morning and there are reports of 30 to 50 shots of gunfire inside the halls of Parliament before the gunman was killed.

    Employment Minister Jason Kenney tweeted that the soldier has died and offered his condolences. Multiple media reports have also confirmed the death, although police and DND have not.

    The soldier is believed to be a reservist from Hamilton, Ontario.

    The situation remains very active as police gave said they cannot confirm the number of shooters, just that it is more than one. Police have not confirmed if a gunman was killed, although some MPs have.

    “Gunman at Parliament’s Centre Block has been shot and killed,” Conservative MP Bernard Trottier tweeted at 10:30 a.m. Tory MP Bob Zimmer also reported the same.

    Police have expanded their perimeter and have confirmed there has been shootings in three areas, the National War Memorial, in Parliament and near the Rideau Centre, a nearby shopping centre. The Rideau Centre said no shots were taken within the mall.

    THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

    Police teams enter Centre Block at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014. A gunman opened fire at the National War Memorial, wounding a soldier, then moved to nearby Parliament Hill and wounded a security guard before he was shot, reportedly by Parliament's sergeant-at-arms.

    Around 1:40 p.m., a security alert warned that all buildings in the Parliamentary precinct were still on lockdown.

    “This means stay in your office, with the doors locked and away from the windows. If your door does not lock, find a way to barricade the door, if possible,” read the alert, circulated by email. “Do not open the door under any circumstances. Security Services has the required keys.”

    Police are also asking citizens to not tweet the locations of the officers involved as the RCMP describes the situation as “on-going.”

    Two sources told The Canadian Press that Kevin Vickers, the sergeant-at-arms for the House of Commons and 29-year RCMP veteran, shot a gunman. Both CBC and CTV are reporting a single gunman has been confirmed dead.

    Ottawa Civic hospital received two new patients at about noon, one with gunshot wounds and the other with unknown injuries. Both have been reported to be in stable condition.

    The hospital was not commenting on the condition of the soldier.

    In video taken within Parliament at about 10 a.m., about a dozen gunshots can be heard within the halls.

    Witnesses reported hearing shots in different corridors of Parliament and some fled the building by using the scaffolding erected for renovations.

    Several medics were performing CPR on the soldier before he was taken away by ambulance. CTV is reporting the soldier is still alive.

    “There is a shooter on the loose,” a police officer in the area told the Post‘s John Ivison, shortly after 10 a.m.

    NA1023_shooting_in_Ottawa_940_AB

    Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia News

    A woman gives mouth to mouth to a fallen soldier at the War Memorial as police respond to an apparent terrorist attack in Ottawa.

    A Toyota Corolla, with no plates on it, was left outside of Parliament Hill. Multiple witnesses said they saw a gunman get out of it and attack the soldier. Bomb locating robots have been deployed by police near the car.

    Witness Scott Walsh told the Canadian Press he was working near the East Block when he saw a man with long, black hair, his face covered with a white scarf and wearing a black jacket.

    “He had a double-barrelled shotgun, he was about five feet from me, and he ran right beside us, ran past the woman with the stroller and child,” he said.

    Walsh said the gunman then hijacked a dark car at gunpoint and started driving towards the Peace Tower.

    Chuck Bronley of Ottawa said he was certain the victim was one of the ceremonial guards at the War Memorial.

    In a brief statement the PMO said: “Earlier today there was an attack at the National War Memorial and on Parliament Hill. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were attacked.

    “The Prime Minister will make a statement later today. Details to follow later.”

    Harper cancelled his much-anticipated Toronto engagement with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, his spokesman Carl Vallée said around noon Tuesday.

    The White House was trying to arrange a phone call between Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday afternoon.

    Reports of at least one active shooter sparked chaos in Canada’s Parliament as MPs — and the Prime Minister — met just steps away from where a gunmen opened fire.

    Reporters and staffers grabbing breakfast and coffee were ushered in to the fifth floor cafeteria as security confirmed that there was an active shooter on the 2nd floor.

    THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

    RCMP intervention team members walk past a gate on Parliament hill in Ottawa Wednesday Oct.22, 2014. A Canadian soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa has been shot by an unknown gunman and there are reports of gunfire inside the halls of Parliament.

    In a brief statement the PMO said: “Earlier today there was an attack at the National War Memorial and on Parliament Hill. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were attacked.

    “The Prime Minister will make a statement later today. Details to follow later.”

    Harper cancelled his much-anticipated Toronto engagement with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, his spokesman Carl Vallée said around noon Tuesday.

    The White House was trying to arrange a phone call between Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday afternoon.

    Reports of at least one active shooter sparked chaos in Canada’s Parliament as MPs — and the Prime Minister — met just steps away from where a gunmen opened fire.

    Reporters and staffers grabbing breakfast and coffee were ushered in to the fifth floor cafeteria as security confirmed that there was an active shooter on the 2nd floor.

    Huddled into a corner, with some staffers chanting prayers and others trying to laugh off the fear, two dozen Parliament Hill workers rapidly checked Twitter as reports circulated that one or two gunmen may still be on the loose.

    Many reporters had been in the Hall of Honour — not far from where the gunman later opened fire — when the first shooting occurred. Parliament Hill then went on lockdown.

    For the staffers huddled there, it was impossible to know the situation. Reports circulated of active shooters as cooks, unarmed security and an assortment of others huddled under counters.

    A Liberal party staffer locked in an office on Parliament Hill said Justin Trudeau was in Centre Block for a 10 a.m. caucus meeting when shots broke out.

    “I don’t know where he is, but I’m told he’s in a secure location,” the staffer said around 11 a.m.

    THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

    An RCMP intervention team run next to a Parliament building in Ottawa Wednesday Oct.22, 2014. A Canadian soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa has been shot by an unknown gunman and there are reports of gunfire inside the halls of Parliament.

    Ottawa police say they received a report of gunfire at 9:52 a.m.

    The RCMP is advising Ottawa residents “to stay away from windows and off roofs due to [the] ongoing police incident.”

    All Ottawa police stations have been closed as a result of the shooting. Military bases throughout Canada have also been placed under lockdown.

    The incident comes two days after a Canadian soldier was struck by a car and killed in Quebec by a man with jihadist sympathies. The gunman was later killed by police.

  • cofty
    cofty

    Shocking! I have been following updates on the BBC.

    Thye are linking it with a murder of another soldier in Canada by an Islamist last week. Has that been confirmed?

  • fleaman uk
    fleaman uk

    Yep. Usual muslim extremists running riot.

  • Quarterback
    Quarterback

    Canada is not safe and has joined the rest of the world's terrorism fears

  • Simon
    Simon

    Nothing confirmed yet but it would be very surprising if it was not something to do with islam. It was about 48 hours ago that two soldiers were run down by a vehicle in an islamist attack.

    If it does turn out to be linked then I predict we'll get to hear the typical wishy washy message that will contain more statements about how 'islam is a religion of peace' than any suggesting that the teachings should be investigated or questioning why it seems so easy for a normal muslim to be turned into a radical muslim.

    And then certain people will try and tell us that 'islam isn't the problem' again.

  • William Penwell
    William Penwell

    I just watched the news coverage here on CBC and all they can confirm is one gun man that shot and killed a reserve at the war memorial. They think he ran into the parliment building and was shot dead there. It wouldn't surprise me if it was some radical muslim but lets wait till all the information is made available.

  • OUTLAW
    OUTLAW

    .

    Canada`s role in World Politics has always been as PeaceKeepers,not Police..

    Canada`s Moronic Prime Minister is using our Canadian Soldiers to Police other Countries..

    Something we had never done before the Harper Conservative Government..

    We`re lumped in with the USA now,when Crazy People want to Attack the West..

    .

    ................................

    .............................................................................................. http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab110/GeneralWaco/mutley-ani1.gif...OUTLAW

  • cofty
    cofty

    using our Canadian Soldiers to Police other Countries..

    Good on him.

    We need international solidarity for liberal democracy. The more countries prepared to make a contribution the better.

  • Simon
    Simon

    Really? Political point scoring at a time like this?

    Canada is contributing to peacekeeping right now - this latest campaign in Iraq started with ISIS trying to massacre a mountain full of people, taking women and girls as slaves. No decent country can stand by and watch that happen.

  • prologos
    prologos

    my sympathies to the injured, the sodiers' relatives. but to respond to OUTLAW's history reference:

    Perhaps the shooter was a descendant of the victims of the Canadian involvement in the Boer war in South Africa, half way around the world and a ~century ago.? unlikely, but so much for ethnic neutrality. ( Canada had a strong immigration swell in the post-apartheit era from the tip of Africa. )

    There are also tens of thousands of newly minted Canadian citizens in Lebanon, and there are strong ties with Israel, that deserves protection because of what happened in Europe to the jewish people.

    To add, shame for acting so late to stop the atrocities across the turkish border.

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