- Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was shot dead after opening fire at Parliament Hill
- He
was born in Quebec but reportedly recently converted to Islam and had
his passport seized after being designated a 'high-risk traveler'
- He
shot reserve soldier Corporal Nathan Cirillo at the National War
Memorial before running inside Parliament and exchanging gunfire with
guards
- Heroic Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers shot him dead
- Police initially said there were multiple gunmen and at a press conference, they would not rule out other suspects
- Witness accounts of a suspect include descriptions of him as short with long hair, overweight, wearing a dark jacket and 'Arabic scarf'
Published:
14:31 GMT, 22 October 2014
|
Updated:
12:15 GMT, 23 October 2014
A
Muslim convert shot dead a Canadian soldier at the National War Memorial
in Ottawa on Wednesday before exchanging dozens of shots with guards
inside Parliament in a terrifying attack that left the nation's capital
on lockdown.
Michael
Zehaf-Bibeau fatally shot Corporal Nathan Cirillo, a 24-year-old
father, as he stood guard at the War Memorial on Wednesday morning.
Zehaf-Bibeau
then ran inside the Parliament, where he opened fire before he was shot
dead by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms.
Zehaf-Bibeau,
who had a criminal history for drug trafficking in Montreal and robbery
in Vancouver, was born in Quebec as Michael Joseph Hall but recently
converted to Islam, CBS reported.
Sources told the Globe and Mail that he had been designated 'high-risk traveler' and government had seized his passport
Scroll down for videos
+22
Killed: Corporal Nathan Cirillo, was
shot dead by a gunman as he stood guard at the National War Memorial
outside the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on Wednesday morning. He
leaves behind a young son
+22
Left behind: Cirillo leaves behind one young son, pictured, according to his Instagram page
+22
Gunned down: Cirillo is raced to an
ambulance after he was fatally shot in the abdomen by a gunman as he
stood guard at the National War Memorial outside the Canadian Parliament
His attack comes just two days after another Canadian soldier was killed in Quebec by a man with jihadist sympathies.
Authorities
initially said they believed 'two or three' gunmen were responsible for
the attack in Ottawa on Wednesday, but at an afternoon press
conference, Chief of Police Charles Bordeleau would not confirm whether
or not they are still searching for other shooters.
'We're still in the process of clearing Parliament Hill,' he said. 'It is a slow and methodical process.'
The
shooting spree began at 9.52am when witnesses reported seeing a gunman
climb out of a car, grab a rifle, shoot the soldier in the abdomen and
then run towards Parliament.
Corporal Cirillo was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
Cirillo,
a fitness fanatic and animal lover with a young son, was a reservist
serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Hamilton.
'Nathan was a good man,' friend Marie Michele told CBC News. 'He would give anything to anyone.'
Ottawa
police then received a call at 9.54am that shots had been heard inside
the Parliament, while journalists cowering inside said they heard dozens
of rounds and could smell gunpowder in the halls.
+22
Race: Emergency personnel tend to the soldier after he was shot at the National Memorial just before 10am
+22
Terror: Police are hunting the streets for more suspects and have asked the public to stay away from the area
+22
Attacks: Ottawa police said there were
shootings at the War Memorial and at the Parliament. They initially
thought there was a shooting at the Rideau Centre mall, but have since
said this was not the case
+22
Gunned down: He had been in Ottawa because members of the Argylls were standing guard this week
+22
+22
Loss: 24-year-old Carillo served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Hamilton, Ontario
A
shootout unfolded and Zehaf-Bibeau was killed by Sergeant-At-Arms Kevin
Vickers, who worked for the RCMP for 29 years before joining the
Parliament in 2006. (He is pictured by the Hill Times.)
'I
am safe & profoundly grateful to Sgt at Arms Kevin Vickers &
our security forces for selfless act of keeping us safe,' said Julian
Fantino, Canada's Minister of Veterans Affairs, on Twitter.
The
Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for safeguarding the authority of the
House of Commons and providing safety and security of the Parliament
buildings and the people inside.
As
gunfire erupted in the hallways, journalists and politicians scrambled
for safety, while members in the Conservative Party caucus room blocked
the door with a stack of chairs.
A
parliamentary guard was shot in the leg during the gunfight but is
recovering in hospital, according to Globe and Mail reporter Josh
Wingrove, who is inside the building.
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