Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

City on lock down after soldier shot dead outside Canada's parliament

A huge manhunt is underway on the streets of Ottawa.

Updated 22.47pm

AN INVESTIGATION IS under way in Canada after one soldier was killed and shots were fired inside the national parliament building.

The soldier was shot at 9.52am local time (2.52pm GMT) as he was on duty at the National War Memorial, close to the national parliament.

Streets around Canada’s national parliament were closed off during the confused aftermath of the shooting, amid fears that there may have been a second gunman.

APTOPIX Canada Shooting AP AP

Immediately after shooting the soldier, the gunman ran inside the parliament building where he was shot dead by the sergeant-at-arms.

Officials identified the gunman as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, but gave no immediate details on his background. Canadian police would not speculate on a motive for the shootings.

In a press conference this evening, they would not confirm whether the suspect was a Canadian citizen.

SFAF Police press conference this evening. Screengrab / Sky News Screengrab / Sky News / Sky News

The police admitted that they were caught by surprise with today’s shooting.

Video captured by a reporter for The Globe and Mail newspaper shows an exchange of gunfire inside the Parliament Hill building shortly after the soldier was shot, with police running towards the direction of the shooting:

The Globe and Mail / YouTube

Ottawa Police this evening confirmed the two deaths, saying that the identity of the soldier will not be released until his next of kin have been informed.

“He was a member of the Canadian Forces,” police said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones”.

A large number of people remain inside the parliament building amid warnings from police to stay where they are.

Police are urging people to stay away from the area around parliament in Ottawa.  A number of streets in the area have been sealed off:

map http: / /traffic.ottawa.ca/map/index http: / /traffic.ottawa.ca/map/index / /traffic.ottawa.ca/map/index

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has urged people to take extra care during the search:

Ottawa police confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the shooting began at 9.52am local time (2.52pm GMT).

Staff in the parliament building have been told to stay in their offices and hide. The building remains on lockdown this evening.

Heavily armed police raced to seal off the building and the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper immediately after the shooting.

An official confirmed that Harper had left the shooting area safely.

The shooting comes two days after a 25-year-old man ran over and killed a soldier in Montreal, in what the government said was a terrorist attack.

POLICE Canada PA Graphics PA Graphics

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson labelled the events a “sad and tragic day for the city and country”.

Additional reporting Associated Press and Christina Finn

Originally published 3.18pm

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
108 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute O'Reilly
    Favourite O'Reilly
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 7:57 AM

    Fair play to them…

    133
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Ryan
    Favourite Martin Ryan
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 8:29 AM

    Every bit as important as the nurse or doctor the utmost respect should be shown to cleaners doing the jobs no one else wants to, or thinks they are to good for.

    131
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph Siddall
    Favourite Joseph Siddall
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 8:34 AM

    If the Marketing Dept didn’t show up for a week, virtually no-one would notice. If the cleaners didn’t, the whole company would know about it.
    They’re real people doing a job. Be nice to ‘em.

    230
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Walsh
    Favourite Shane Walsh
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 10:16 AM

    Joseph I couldn’t agree more..

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph Siddall
    Favourite Joseph Siddall
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 1:44 PM

    Presume the red thumbs are the considered input from the small minority of Marketing people who just know that the western world revolves around them. Or other deluded souls. Cleaners are amongst the most important people in any organisation and you really should get to know them if you want to know what’s going on in a company. Being “invisible” they see and hear things that those further up the food chain do not. Also on my list are Receptionists, Secretaries and Security………the good ones in each category, at least. The old fashioned tea lady was a brilliant source of information, but now sadly disappeared. The modern coffee machine sees all, hears all and says nowt – and the tea is usually cr4p. Treat everyone with respect on your way up, ‘cos you never know who you might meet on the way down.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Noel Peare
    Favourite Noel Peare
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 1:58 PM

    Well if you will try to get tea from a coffee machine you have to expect poor results

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph Siddall
    Favourite Joseph Siddall
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 2:25 PM

    Noel, well spotted. Probably explains my abiding dislike of machine-made tea. :-)

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thors Big Hammer
    Favourite Thors Big Hammer
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 8:39 AM

    Tough thankless job.

    90
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Summer Bay Devil
    Favourite Summer Bay Devil
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 7:49 AM

    We need more Lemon Pledge

    88
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Liam
    Favourite Liam
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 8:16 AM

    I only notice good looking cleaners to be honest…

    61
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Summer Bay Devil
    Favourite Summer Bay Devil
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 8:23 AM

    Meeester Superman no home

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Walsh
    Favourite Shane Walsh
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 8:53 AM

    I have the utmost respect for cleaners, very hard working people doing jobs that many would turn there nose up at.

    82
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Simon Barnes
    Favourite Simon Barnes
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 8:08 AM

    Cant miss our cleaner . She’s fit as fcuk :-)

    72
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robbie Doyle
    Favourite Robbie Doyle
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 9:00 AM

    Reminds me of a song Ewan MacColl wrote about his mother called Nobody Knew She Was There, heartbreaking stuff.

    Glistening sheen of new-washed floors is fading, There where office clocks are marking time, Night’s black tide has ebbed away By cliffs of glass awash with day, She hurries from her labours still unseen.

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Glangan
    Favourite Glangan
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 9:30 AM

    Thanks for doing your job – well done!

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Julian King
    Favourite Julian King
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 9:24 AM

    But who’ll give recognition to the cleaners of these venues being used to give recognition to cleaners?

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Justin Moran
    Favourite Justin Moran
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 7:58 AM

    Great to see this given some profile but that was 1990, not 1900, when striking janitors were attacked in Los Angelus.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jay Warner
    Favourite Jay Warner
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 10:38 AM

    What about the legions of Cleaners working in Hotels, restaurants, shops and offices etc? Typical of SIPTU to just cherry pick their own little inch of the world and ignore everyone else.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute david journal
    Favourite david journal
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 10:29 AM

    Cabin crew giving out last week, cleaners this week, why cant people just go to work and do the job without needing a parade about it.
    Its your job, just do it and be quite.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute art vandelay
    Favourite art vandelay
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 9:33 AM

    Mr. Lippman: It’s come to my attention that you and the cleaning woman have engaged in sexual intercourse on the desk in your office. Is that correct?
    George Costanza: Who said that?
    Mr. Lippman: She did.
    George Costanza: [pause] Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I tell you, I gotta plead ignorance on this thing, because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing is frowned upon… you know, cause I’ve worked in a lot of offices, and I tell you, people do that all the time.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute JGermanotta26
    Favourite JGermanotta26
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 11:21 PM

    Cleaners are the tiny wheels that keep the clock working. Without them it just wouldn’t work.

    Nice people know we all have a part to play, how dare anyone assume they are more ‘worthwhile’ based on their title ~ usually lazy buggers who wouldn’t work on batteries, prancing around looking more important than they are!

    This day for justice and to encourage respect for the cleaners is long overdue

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jho Harris
    Favourite Jho Harris
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 11:29 AM

    @ Joseph Siddall I agree 100% and have been saying that for years.
    @ David Journal. Do your job and be quite what? or did you mean quiet? Hope your job does not include journalism as your user name suggests or you have made a right laughing stock of yourself, you see they are not giving out. If you read the article you will see that this “It’s a celebration, not a protest” There are no big or complicated works for you to look up in their quote ” “We are often invisible to the public. Yet without the work we do, many of our most important facilities including hospitals, railway stations and universities simply could not function. This day is about reminding people about the value of our work in society.”

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute david journal
    Favourite david journal
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 11:40 AM

    I misspelled a word, what a laughing stock I must look. In your simple little world maybe.
    There cleaners, they want a day of appreciation, ridiculous notions, just get on with there jobs.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute That's a paddlin'
    Favourite That's a paddlin'
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 11:57 AM

    *They’re cleaners and *their jobs.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jho Harris
    Favourite Jho Harris
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 10:14 PM

    @ David Journal. You know nothing about my world and I aim to keep it that way, I do try to keep it simple or at least uncomplicated but it is not little. I suspect your use of the word Journal in your user name does anything but reflect your skills as you have and my comment was not just about misspelling a word it also alluded to your begrudgery.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paddy Hannigan
    Favourite Paddy Hannigan
    Report
    Jun 16th 2014, 10:50 PM

    “Bonjour, je m’appelle Victor, Nettoyeur.”

    Oh!! Not that sort of cleaner.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds