LIVE: Canadian parliament locked down, one soldier dead, guard injured
A gunman shot and fatally wounded a soldier in Ottawa on Wednesday and then entered the country's parliament buildings chased by police, with at least 30 shots fired in dramatic scenes in the heart of the Canadian capital. Photos | Video
A gunman shot and wounded a soldier in Ottawa on Wednesday and then entered the country's parliament buildings chased by police, with at least 30 shots fired in dramatic scenes in the heart of the Canadian capital.
Here are the live updates
7:00 AM: PM Harper says attacks will not intimidate Canada
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Wednesday that Canada will not be intimidated by a pair of attacks that killed two soldiers this week, adding that security agencies would do everything needed to counter threats to the country.
"Let there be no misunderstanding. We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated," Harper said in a brief address to the nation.
"In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts - and those of our national security agencies - to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats and keep Canada safe here at home," he added.
Harper said it would become clear in days to come whether the man who launched a gun attack on parliament - and whom he called "a terrorist" - was acting alone or had accomplices.
2:30 AM: Barack Obama condemns 'outrageous' attacks in Canada
US President Barack Obama condemned the "outrageous" attacks that occurred in Canada in the last three days and offered assistance to the US ally on Wednesday during a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
1:45 AM: PM Modi condemns attack on Canadian Parliament
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed serious concern over the attack on Canadian parliament in Ottawa, terming it as 'extremely disturbing'.
"The news of attack in Ottawa is extremely disturbing. I pray for everyone's safety," Modi tweeted.
11:23 PM: Ottawa Senators home game postponed after Parliament shooting
Wednesday's Ottawa Senators home game has been postponed by the National Hockey League after shooting incidents at the Canadian National War Memorial and nearby parliament building.
Ottawa were scheduled to host the Toronto Maple Leafs at their home arena, about 25 km (15.5 miles) away from the parliament buildings, at 7:00 p.m. ET (2300 GMT).
"The National Hockey League wishes to express its sympathy and prayers to all affected by the tragic events in Ottawa," the league, said in a statement. Video
The date and time of the rescheduled game will be announced at a later date, according to the NHL.
The soldier shot at the Canadian war memorial in Ottawa has died, and a guard in the nearby parliament buildings has been wounded, Canadian cabinet minister Jason Kenney said on Wednesday.
"Condolences to family of the soldier killed, & prayers for the Parliamentary guard wounded. Canada will not be terrorised or intimidated," Kenney, one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's most powerful ministers, said on Twitter.
A spokeswoman for the Canadian military said she could not confirm the report of his death and had no update on his condition.
10:11 PM: Ottawa hospital says received 3 patients, 2 in stable condition
Ottawa Hospital received three patients, two of whom are in stable condition, following shootings in the Canadian capital on Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.
A Canadian soldier was shot at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa and a suspected gunman was shot and killed in the nearby parliament buildings, media and witnesses reported. Buildings throughout downtown Ottawa remained locked down.
Ottawa police are looking for multiple suspects in the shooting incidents on Wednesday near the Canadian war memorial and nearby Parliament Hill, a spokesman said.
A Canadian soldier was shot at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa and a gunman was shot and killed in a nearby parliament building, media and witnesses reported. But buildings remained locked down.
A suspected gunman was shot dead inside the parliament building, a government minister said.
It was not clear whether the suspect had acted alone. Ottawa police said they were actively looking for one or more suspects.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in a caucus meeting in parliament when gunfire erupted in the building, Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino, a former policeman, told the Toronto Sun.
Harper was later safely removed from the building, and parliament was locked down.
Fantino said parliament's head of security, Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, a former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), had shot a suspect dead.
"All the details are not in, but the sergeant-at-arms, a former Mountie, is the one that engaged the gunman, or one of them at least, and stopped this," Fantino said. "He did a great job and, from what I know, shot the gunman and he is now deceased."
Dramatic video footage posted by the Globe and Mail newspaper showed police with guns drawn inside the main parliament building. At least a dozen loud bangs can be heard on the clip, echoing through the hallway.
07: 46 PM: Police chase Canada shooting suspect into parliament, more shots heard
A gunman who shot a Canadian soldier in Ottawa was chased by police into the center block of parliament, and 30 more shots were fired inside the building, an eyewitness told Reuters on Wednesday.
08:51 PM: Canada military closes bases after soldier shot in Ottawa
The Canadian military has closed its bases across the country to the public after a soldier was shot in Ottawa on Wednesday, CBC TV said.
08:11 PM: More shots fired near parliament in Ottawa, suspect at large
More shots were fired near the parliament buildings in Ottawa on Wednesday after a gunman who shot a Canadian soldier and was chased into the nearby parliament buildings remained at large, according to a television report.
Multiple shots were fired inside the centre block of parliament and police have converged on the area. The injured soldier was taken away by ambulance and more ambulances have arrived at the Centre Block of parliament in downtown Ottawa.
'Danger here'
As the drama enfolded, police in dark bulletproof vests and automatic weapons flooded the streets near parliament.
Some took cover behind vehicles, and shouted to people to clear the area, saying: "We do not have the suspect in custody. You are in danger here."
Members of parliament were told to lock themselves in their offices, and stay away from the windows.
"If your door does not lock, find a way to barricade the door, if possible. Do not open a door under any circumstances," said a security alert issued by parliament officials.
People in downtown Ottawa should stay away from windows and off roofs due to an "ongoing police incident," the RCMP cautioned in a statement.
All cell phones in the area were blocked.
The wounded soldier was taken into an ambulance in which medical personnel could be seen giving him cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
The shooting came 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.
'Double-barrelled shotgun'
A construction worker on the scene in Ottawa told Reuters he heard a gunshot, and then saw a man with a scarf over his face running towards parliament.
"He was wearing blue pants and a black jacket and he had a double barrelled shotgun and he ran up the side of this building here and hijacked a car at gunpoint," 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, Walsh said.
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, he said.
Centre Block is the main building on 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.
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."
Security on Parliament Hill is fairly low-key, compared with Capitol Hill in Washington. Anybody could walk right up to the front door of parliament's Centre Block with arms and explosives without being challenged before entering the front door, where a few guards check accreditation.
The room where the caucus of the governing Conservatives meets with Prime Minister Stephen Harper is perhaps 100 feet (30 metres) from that door.
The Canadian military closed its bases across the country following the events in Ottawa, CBC TV said.
~Reuters