UPDATE FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS: Police are expanding a security perimeter in the heart of the national capital after a gunman opened fire and wounded a soldier at the National War Memorial before injuring a security guard on Parliament Hill, where he was reportedly shot dead by Parliament’s sergeant-at-arms.
Security staff on the Hill have told some MPs offices they believe there may be three shooters, and police were searching rooftops in the immediate vicinity of Parliament Hill.
Police say they are investigating “several shooting incidents in downtown Ottawa.” The Langevin Block, home of the Prime Minister’s Office across the street from Parliament Hill, has been evacuated. All three party leaders are confirmed to be in safe locations, party officials say.
Police herded bystanders off the street into a major office building and warned people to stay away from the windows. They have told people in the precinct that if they cannot lock their doors, they should barricade them.
The US embassy, adjacent to Parliament Hill, has also been locked down, and US President Barack Obama has been briefed on the ongoing incident.
Conservative MP Bob Zimmer has tweeted that a gunman was shot and killed, a report repeated by several other MPs’ offices but unconfirmed by police.
