23 Oct 2014

Canada shooting: photo of main suspect Michael Zehaf-Bibeau

The main suspect in the Canada parliament shoot-out, in which a soldier was killed, is named by police as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, a Muslim convert with a police record.

Canada’s prime minister addressed the nation on Wednesday night, saying he would not be “intimidated” by terrorists after a dramatic shoot-out at Ottowa’s parliament buildings and war memorial that left one soldier dead.

Corporal Nathan Cirillo was named locally as the soldier who was killed, while police identified the gunman who shot him as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who government sources said was a recent convert to Islam. He was later shot dead by police.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a gunman running towards the parliament buildings, where some 30 more shots were fired.

Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, reportedly had a criminal record in Quebec and British Columbia, including drug possession and robbery. He was designated a “high risk traveller” by authorities, who had also seized his passport, Canadian news outlets reported.

CBC Canada posted a picture of someone they said was Zehaf-Bibeau on Twitter, and on their website.

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper called the incident a “terrorist attack” and said that the country would not be intimidated into changing its foreign policy. Early this month, Canada said it would be joining US-led striked against the Islamic State group in Iraq.

Read more: 'It can happen here, and it did': Canada reeling after 'terror' attack

The attack on Wednesday came just two days after another soldier was killed in Quebec, in an apparent hit and run.

The day before the dramatic attack, in which MPs had baracaded themselves in chambers after hearing rounds of gunfire, Canada had raised its terror level threat from low to medium.