A Canadian soldier was shot and killed and a suspect was killed in an attack on the Canadian Parliament complex in Ottawa on Wednesday morning. This attack comes just two days after a terror attack in Quebec that left the capital on lockdown, according to officials.
Canadian authorities have identified the shooter as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, who is believed to be Canadian-born, Fox News reported.
Shots rang out shortly before 10:00 am when a guard at the National War Monument was fatally shot. The gunman ran into the Parliament Hill building where an MP reported hearing up to 30 shots fired. A sergeant at arms, Kevin Vickers, was credited with shooting and killing the suspect. Vickers was hailed as a hero by many Canadian lawmakers on Twitter.
Following the attack, Royal Canadian Mounted Police converged on the scene. Additional shots were reported at a nearby mall and officials warned Ottawa residents to remain in their homes while they searched for potential gunmen that could be involved.
[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Craig Scott” author_title=”Parliament Member”]
MPs and Hill staff owe their safety, even lives, to Sergeant at Arms Kevin Vickers who shot attacker just outside the MPs’ caucus rooms.
[/quote]
The police have not said how many other gunmen, if any, were involved, but told reporters that the situation was “dynamic and unfolding,” the New York Times reported. Authorities said it is too soon to know if the gunman was known to security officials, and no other suspects are in custody.
The soldier died from his wounds at the hospital while the gunman was killed inside the Parliament building. The slain soldier is Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24, a reservist, CBC News reported.
Ottawa Civic Hospital confirmed four people were transported to the hospital: the soldier and three people who were in stable condition with minor injuries.
Canadian authorities have provided the name of the suspect to U.S. law enforcement and requested assistance from the FBI in tracing the individual’s activities, according to a senior U.S. law enforcement official.
