A soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial was gunned down Wednesday morning, Ottawa police said. “One shooting victim succumbed to injuries. He was a member of the Canadian Forces,” police said just before 2 p.m. in a release.
“One male suspect has also been confirmed deceased. There is no further update on injuries at this time.
“There is no one in custody.”
MP John Williamson of New Brunswick Southwest said earlier that a moment of silence followed the confirmation to the government caucus of the death of a Canadian Forces soldier.
“Condolences to family of the soldier killed, & prayers for the Parliamentary guard wounded,” Jason Kenney, the minister of employment, said on Twitter just before 1 p.m.
“Canada will not be terrorized or intimidated.”
The series of shootings in Ottawa started at 9:52 a.m. at the war memorial. The soldier was rushed by ambulance to Ottawa Civic Hospital.
The soldier shot is a member of the Hamilton’s Argylls of Canada — 91st Canadian Highlanders.
“All I saw was the boot,” Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MP Marston said, adding that he instantly recognized the regalia as the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
“My heart just sank,” he said.
“He would have been standing there with an unloaded weapon,” Marston told the Hamilton Spectator. “It’s heart breaking – young man guarding our memorial . . . the symbolism.”
During the shooting rampage Marston was escorted out of a side door, through the Senate building and came out in front of the War Memorial as officials were performing CPR on the soldier.
Members of the Argylls were on tour guarding Ottawa’s War Memorial in the days before the shooting Wednesday, the Hamilton Spectator reports.
A photo posted on the Argylls Facebook page on Oct. 19 shows two of its regiment on guard. A photo circulating on Twitter from a tourist said to have taken the shot moments before the shooting appears to be the same uniforms.
Lt.-Col. Lawrence Hatfield, of the Commanding Officer of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, referred comment to the Army’s public affairs department.
“I think the problem is that no notification has been done. So it would be extremely upsetting to the family. I would have to ask you to contact the public affairs people,” he said. “It is just a matter of due respect to the family.”
“We are on information lockdown.”
Halton Regional police have called a press conference about the shooting at 3 p.m.
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Poster Comment:
"He would have been standing there with an unloaded weapon,” Marston told the Hamilton Spectator. “It’s heart breaking – young man guarding our memorial . . . the symbolism.”
Very sad.