(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Witnesses said the soldier posted at the National War Memorial identified as Cpl.
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during a nationally televised address on CBC in this still image taken from video in Ottawa.- Reuters
Ottawa: Two deadly attacks in three days against members of the military stunned Canadians and raised fears their country was being targeted for reprisals for joining the US-led air campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
“We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated” Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed in a nationally televised address hours after a masked gunman killed a soldier standing guard at Ottawa’s war memorial shortly before 10 am on Wednesday. The suspect then stormed Parliament in a dramatic attack that was stopped cold when he was shot to death by the ceremonial sergeant-at-arms.
Investigators offered little information about the gunman in Ottawa.
Witnesses said the soldier posted at the National War Memorial identified as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black his face half-covered with a scarf. The gunman appeared to raise his arms in triumph then entered Parliament a few hundred yards away where dozens of shots soon rang out according to witnesses.
People fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations while others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armor took up positions outside and cordoned off the normally bustling streets around Parliament.
On Twitter Canada’s justice minister and other government officials credited 58-year-old sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers with shooting the attacker just outside the MPs’ caucus rooms. Vickers serves a largely ceremonial role at the House of Commons carrying a scepter and wearing rich green robes white gloves and a tall imperial hat.
At least three people were treated for minor injuries.
In Washington President Barack Obama condemned the shootings as “outrageous” and said: “We have to remain vigilant.” The US Embassy in Ottawa was locked down as a precaution and security was tightened at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington.
Harper vowed that the attacks will “lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts” to keep the country safe and work with Canada’s allies to fight terrorists.
Court records that appear to be the gunman’s show that he had a long rap sheet with a string of convictions for assault robbery drug and weapons offenses and other crimes.
Tony Zobl said he witnessed the Canadian soldier being gunned down from his fourth-floor window directly above the National War Memorial a 70-foot (21.34-meter) arched granite cenotaph or tomb with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I.
“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 honor guard in front of the cenotaph point-blank twice” Zobl told the Canadian Press news agency. “The honor guard dropped to the ground and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle.”
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. had video of the gunman going to his car alone with his weapon after the shooting at the memorial. The car was later spotted parked in front of Parliament Hill just down the block.
Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament where Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings.
“I was just taking off my jacket to go into caucus. I hear this pop pop pop. Possibly 10 shots don’t really know. Thought it was dynamite or construction rather than anything else” said John McKay a member of Parliament.
He said security guards then came rushing down the halls herding them toward the back of the buildings.
“And then we started talking to another woman and she was apparently inside the library of Parliament saw the fellow wearing a hoodie carrying a gun” McKay said “and then the implications of this start to sink in.”
Canada had raised its domestic terror threat level from low to medium on Tuesday.
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