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| Ottawa attack: police confirm only one gunman as politicians return to work | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Canadian police have confirmed there was only a single gunman involved in a brazen gun attack on the national parliament on Wednesday that left a soldier dead. | Canadian police have confirmed there was only a single gunman involved in a brazen gun attack on the national parliament on Wednesday that left a soldier dead. |
| Ottawa police said that they are satisfied there was one attacker, and police chief Charles Bordeleau told CBC that there is no longer a threat to public safety. | |
| Police said in the initial hours after the shootings that as many as two other gunmen may have taken part. But as the day wore on, it appeared increasingly likely that the attack was the work of one person. | Police said in the initial hours after the shootings that as many as two other gunmen may have taken part. But as the day wore on, it appeared increasingly likely that the attack was the work of one person. |
| The mother of the shooting suspect Michael Zehaf-Bibeau has told the Associated Press that she is crying for the victims of the shooting, not for her son. “Can you ever explain something like this?” Susan Bibeau said. “We are sorry.” | |
| Zehaf-Bibeau shot a Canadian solider at the national war memorial on Wednesday then forced his way into Ottawa’s parliament building in a hail of gunfire before being killed by a ceremonial official. It was the second time in two days that the country’s security forces had confronted an attack on the streets: on Monday a man described by authorities as having been radicalised ran down a soldier with his car in Quebec. | |
| The Canadian government was determined to return to business as usual on Thursday, with the House of Commons opening as usual at 10am local time. | The Canadian government was determined to return to business as usual on Thursday, with the House of Commons opening as usual at 10am local time. |
| “This sends a clear message of Canada’s resolve to maintain its free and democratic way of life,” House speaker Andrew Scheer said in a statement. | |
| The flag flying over parliament’s Centre Block, where the gunman had burst in on Wednesday morning, was at half mast. The Queen – Canada’s head of state – sent her condolences, saying she was “shocked and saddened” by the attack. | |
| Tensions in Ottawa were underscored when police arrested a man at gunpoint just steps from Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, while he was laying a wreath at the national war memorial to commemorate Canadian soldier Nathan Cirillo, who was shot at the site by Zehaf-Bibeau. Ottawa police said the man was arrested for “disturbing the crime scene”. | |
| “He crossed the tape. We told him not to. He didn’t listen,” said a police officer at the scene. | |
| On Wednesday evening Harper vowed a tough and uncompromising response to the attack. | |
| “This week’s events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere around the world,” Harper said in his address to the nation. “We are also reminded that attacks on our security personnel and our institutions of governance are by their very nature attacks on our country, on our values, on our society, on us Canadians as a free and democratic people who embrace human dignity for all. But let there be no misunderstanding. We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated.” | “This week’s events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere around the world,” Harper said in his address to the nation. “We are also reminded that attacks on our security personnel and our institutions of governance are by their very nature attacks on our country, on our values, on our society, on us Canadians as a free and democratic people who embrace human dignity for all. But let there be no misunderstanding. We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated.” |
| The attack began just before 10am on Wednesday when Zehaf-Bibeau emerged from a car and opened fire on the ceremonial guard of Ottawa’s war memorial, across from the parliament buildings. Cirillo was hit as he stood guard over the tomb commemorating soldiers killed in battle. Amid the chaos, medics and bystanders battled to save the soldier’s life before he was taken to hospital by ambulance. Cirillo died from his wounds shortly afterwards. | The attack began just before 10am on Wednesday when Zehaf-Bibeau emerged from a car and opened fire on the ceremonial guard of Ottawa’s war memorial, across from the parliament buildings. Cirillo was hit as he stood guard over the tomb commemorating soldiers killed in battle. Amid the chaos, medics and bystanders battled to save the soldier’s life before he was taken to hospital by ambulance. Cirillo died from his wounds shortly afterwards. |
| From there the attacker made his way across the street on to the front lawn of parliament. It remains unclear how the he made his way past the armed guards protecting the building but he got as far as the ornate Hall of Honour, before being shot dead by Kevin Vickers, the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms. Vickers, a former officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was widely praised for his swift action that brought an end to the attack. | From there the attacker made his way across the street on to the front lawn of parliament. It remains unclear how the he made his way past the armed guards protecting the building but he got as far as the ornate Hall of Honour, before being shot dead by Kevin Vickers, the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms. Vickers, a former officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was widely praised for his swift action that brought an end to the attack. |
| That Zehaf-Bibeau was able to make his way to parliament and into the central building after killing a soldier in broad daylight has raised concern about whether Canada has been naive in its preparations for such an attack. | That Zehaf-Bibeau was able to make his way to parliament and into the central building after killing a soldier in broad daylight has raised concern about whether Canada has been naive in its preparations for such an attack. |
| The Globe and Mail newspaper said authorities had recently designated him a “high-risk traveller”, meaning it was feared he would commit crimes abroad, and that his passport had been seized. A similar designation had been made for the perpetrator of Monday’s attack in Quebec, Martin Couture-Rouleau, 25. | The Globe and Mail newspaper said authorities had recently designated him a “high-risk traveller”, meaning it was feared he would commit crimes abroad, and that his passport had been seized. A similar designation had been made for the perpetrator of Monday’s attack in Quebec, Martin Couture-Rouleau, 25. |