OTTAWA: Gunfire echoed through the Gothic halls of the Canadian parliament yesterday as police shot dead a gunman suspected of killing a soldier guarding a nearby war memorial before storming the building.
Police said an investigation was continuing, but did not confirm earlier reports that more gunmen were involved. Heavily armed officers backed by armored vehicles sealed off the building.
There was no immediate word on the gunman’s motivation, but the attack came a day after an alleged Islamist drove over and killed another soldier in what authorities branded a terrorist attack.
Authorities had raised the security threat level from low to medium after the car attack, which came as Canadian jets were to join the US-led air armada bombarding Islamist militants in Iraq.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned that “facts are still being gathered” but nevertheless “condemned this despicable attack.”
“One shooting victim succumbed to injuries. He was a member of the Canadian forces. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones,” the Ottawa Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
“One male suspect has also been confirmed as deceased,” they said, in a joint statement, calling on witnesses to come forward and for residents to stay clear of Ottawa’s downtown area.AFP
