On Wednesday morning in Ottawa, a lone gunman took the life of a soldier and stormed Parliament Hill. The suspect, identified as Michael Zehef-Bibeau (32), was killed while inside Canada's Parliament Hill. It is uncertain if the gunman acted alone.
Zehef-Bibeau was recently labeled as a high-risk traveler by the Canadian government and had his passport confiscated. Before running into Parliament Hill, the suspect had shot Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at pointblank range at the National War Memorial down the street. Cirillo was a ceremonial guard for the memorial and part of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, a reserve force.
Witness Tony Zobl told The Globe and Mail, “I looked out the window and saw a shooter, a man dressed all in black with a kerchief over his nose and mouth and something over his head as well, holding a rifle and shooting an honour guard in front of the cenotaph point-blank, twice … The honour guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle.”
After, the gunman reportedly got into a car and drove to Parliament Hill. The suspect then ran into the government building and allegedly fired about 20 rounds, hitting a security guard in the leg who is now recovering in a hospital.
Justin Ling, a freelance political reporter who was at Parliament Hill during the time, told The Guardian, “At one point, standing next to the fire escape, we heard a series of loud bangs. Five or six in rapid succession. We scattered around the room and took cover. A few were loudly praying. A few others were laughing nervously.”
The Guardian reported that Kevin Vickers, the sergeant-at-arms who usually acts as a formal figure, shot the gunman just outside the caucus rooms of the Members of Parliament.
Police are searching the rooms of Parliament Hill to make certain the area is secure. Employees were told to remain inside their rooms for their own safety. The shooting occurred just two days after a recently converted jihadist hit two Canadian soldiers with his vehicle before running away. Authorities have not verified if the attack is related to any extremist groups.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is secure and was taken to a safe location outside of Parliament Hill as soon as the shooting started. Various nations around the globe, such as the U.S. and the U.K., have expressed their condolences for the shooting.
