Two 鈥渄espicable attacks鈥� on Canadian soldiers this week will not weaken the country鈥檚 resolve to fight terrorism at home and abroad, a sombre Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday.
Harper addressed the nation hours after a young soldier was gunned down at the National War Memorial in Ottawa and dozens of shots fired inside Parliament ended with the shooter鈥檚 death.
The attacks in Ottawa occurred just two days after a Quebec soldier was killed in what Harper called an Islamic State-inspired attack in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, not far from Montreal. The suspect in that case
Harper said more information about the 鈥渢errorist鈥� killed in Ottawa will surface in the coming days. 麻豆影视 has confirmed that the suspect in Wednesday鈥檚 attack is Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a Canadian citizen born in 1982.
鈥淭his week鈥檚 events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere around the world,鈥�
鈥淲e are also reminded that attacks on our security personnel and on our institutions of governments 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,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut let there be no misunderstanding -- we will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated.鈥�
Harper said the attacks will only strengthen Canada鈥檚 resolve and lead the government to 鈥渞edouble our efforts and those of our national security agencies to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats and keep Canada safe here at home.鈥�
National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson echoed Harper in a statement issued late Wednesday, saying that Canada鈥檚 deployments in Iraq as part of the U.S.-led fight against ISIS 鈥渨ill continue unimpeded.鈥�
The prime minister offered his condolences to the friends and family of Wednesday while standing guard at the war memorial. Harper also praised the passersby and first responders who tried to save his life.
called the shootings "a cowardly attack designed to strike at the heart of our democracy, the heart of who we are."
But he said Canadians will once again wake up in a country 鈥渂lessed by love, diversity and peace.鈥�
RCMP Commissioner that Zehaf-Bibeau had applied for a passport, and police were doing background checks. Zehaf-Bibeau was not on the list of 鈥渉igh-risk travellers鈥� being tracked by Canadian authorities, Paulson said.
Court records show that a Michael Joseph Zehaf-Bibeau was accused of robbery in Vancouver in late 2011. He was found guilty of uttering threats, a lesser charge.
Panic on the Hill
The chaos in Ottawa began around 9:52 a.m. Wednesday, when police received multiple 911 calls about a shooting at the National War Memorial.
When paramedics and police arrived, the honour guard -- later identified as Cirillo -- was on the ground, surrounded by people who tried to help him.
A short time later, the gunman entered Parliament鈥檚 Centre Block and dozens ofshots rang out as MPs, staff and reporters rushed to safety. The suspect was the sergeant-at-arms for the House of Commons.
Three other people were taken to the Ottawa Hospital after the shootings. They were all discharged by Wednesday evening.
Parliament Hill and Ottawa鈥檚 downtown core were under lockdown for hours after the shootings, but police have not said if other suspects were still on the loose.
Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau said residents need to stay 鈥渧igilant鈥� and report any suspicious activity to police. But he did not directly answer questions from reporters about the possibility that another shooter -- or shooters -- were still at large.
Earlier Wednesday, Ottawa police Const. Marc Soucy said officers believe there may be more than one assailant. He said that police will be assuming that any other assailants are armed.
Tony Zobl, 35, told The Canadian Press that he witnessed the soldier being gunned down from his fourth-floor office window directly above the war memorial.
"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 honour guard in front of the Cenotaph point-blank, twice," Zobl told CP.
"It looked like the honour guard was trying to reach for the barrel of the gun. The honour guard dropped to the ground and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle."
Zobl said he then saw the shooter run up the street toward Parliament Hill.
showed officers filing down the empty corridor of the Hall of Honour as at least a dozen shots could be heard ringing out in the background. A security guard was reported to be injured in the shooting.
鈥淭his is a dynamic and unfolding situation,鈥� RCMP Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud told a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
He said the attack caught the RCMP by surprise, but would not elaborate.
鈥淚f we had known that this was coming, we would have been able to disrupt it,鈥� he said.
The RCMP also said it鈥檚 too early to say if the gunman was among the 90 or so suspected extremists being tracked by the Canadian government.
Reports of a third shooting inside the Rideau Centre, a shopping mall near Parliament Hill, turned out to be false, Bordeleau said.
鈥淭oday is a sad and tragic day for our city and our country,鈥� , adding that everyone is 鈥渓ooking for answers.鈥�
The shooting comes two days after a man attacked two Canadian soldiers in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. One of those soldiers, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, died from his injuries. The suspect, Martin Couture-Rouleau, was shot and killed by police.
On Tuesday, Canada raised the domestic terror threat level from low to medium.
Security beefed up
The attack on Parliament Hill immediately prompted officials across the country to heighten security at government buildings, provincial legislatures and military bases.
Soldiers are also being cautioned about wearing their uniforms in public when they鈥檙e not on active duty.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Harper Wednesday and offered 鈥渁ny assistance鈥� needed in the response to the attack, according to a tweet from the U.S. National Security Council.
Obama also expressed 鈥渢he American people鈥檚 solidarity with Canada,鈥� according to the NSC.
The president later publicly condemned the Ottawa shootings, calling them 鈥渙utrageous.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e all shaken by it,鈥� he said, adding that the U.S. is closely watching the unfolding events.
A statement from NATO鈥檚 secretary general also said that 鈥淣ATO stands in solidarity with our ally Canada at this difficult time.鈥�
With files from Marlene Leung and The Canadian Press
An earlier version of this story Wednesday incorrectly reported that Zehaf-Bibeau was on a list of 鈥渉igh-risk travellers鈥� being tracked by Canadian authorities and had his passport seized.
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