On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper walked into Room 237-C in the heart of Parliament Hill’s Centre Block for the weekly gathering of the Conservative caucus. In recent days, he had been absorbed – both publicly and behind closed doors – with the apparent threat posed by lone-wolf attackers who might become “radicalized” by Islamic extremists abroad.
Within about 30 minutes, his and the nation’s security would explode in a flurry of gunfire just outside the door of the room where he and dozens of MPs and senators were gathered.
From their leather-backed seats in what’s called the “Reading Room,” its towering walls bedecked with historic murals from the 1920s, Tory MPs and senators discussed issues under the usual cloak of secrecy.
At the front of the room, likely sitting at his normal spot on a raised dais, was Harper.
Then, in the hallway outside, shots began ringing out in rapid succession. Five, then 10, then 20 or 30, some believe. Possibly more.
A gunman, who was killed by police in the incident, had entered the Centre Block under the iconic Peace Tower just moments before, and had walked right by the door leading into the room containing Harper and his Conservatives.
Following security protocol, Harper was quickly whisked from Parliament Hill to an undisclosed location.
At 10:20 a.m., Harper’s director of communications, Jason MacDonald, tweeted: ”@pmharper is safe and has left Parliament Hill.”
Inside the caucus room, however, pandemonium quickly ensued. Conservative MPs piled chairs as high as they could against all the doors inside the room as a barricade to keep out the shooter.
Former Mounties such as Tory MPs David Wilks and Rob Clarke helped secured the room and keep Conservative caucus members as calm as possible, according to some inside the room.
Conservative MPs, who usually hand in their BlackBerries as soon as they walk into the caucus room, eventually grabbed their phones to send out messages letting loved ones and staff know they were okay.
“Mom Im okay Im in hiding,” tweeted Conservative cabinet minister Michelle Rempel. “Is it clear people? shots were outside caucus room,” she later tweeted as she was locked up inside.
A picture posted on Twitter and credited to Conservative MP Nina Grewal showed green chairs from the Tory caucus room piled up against a door, and MPs glued to their phones taking calls or sending messages.
“Shots fired just outside our caucus meeting. Am ok,” tweeted Conservative MP Eve Adams, parliamentary secretary to the health minister.
Treasury Board president Tony Clement told the Ottawa Citizen: “Well, it all happened so fast. Two booms then lots of gunfire. Some of us escaped while others barricaded themselves.”
Now, in the wake of the shooting that left a Canadian soldier dead, parliamentarians in shock, and much of downtown Ottawa in lockdown, the prime minister faces one of the biggest challenges of his political career.
Earlier in the week, a Canadian soldier in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. had been run down by a vehicle operated by a man who the government said had been “radicalized.”
“This was a despicable act of violence that strikes against not just this soldier and his colleagues but frankly against our very values as a civilized democracy,” Harper had told the Commons on Tuesday.
Now, after the unprecedented twin attacks at Canada’s War Memorial and Parliament Hill, an intense spotlight will shine on how the Conservative Attacker on Hill came close to Stephen Harper Mark Kennedy More from Mark Kennedy Jason Fekete More from Jason Fekete Published on: October 22, 2014Last Updated: October 22, 2014 8:17 PM EDT Share Adjust Comment Print
On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper walked into Room 237-C in the heart of Parliament Hill’s Centre Block for the weekly gathering of the Conservative caucus.
In recent days, he had been absorbed – both publicly and behind closed doors – with the apparent threat posed by lone-wolf attackers who might become “radicalized” by Islamic extremists abroad.
Within about 30 minutes, his and the nation’s security would explode in a flurry of gunfire just outside the door of the room where he and dozens of MPs and senators were gathered.
From their leather-backed seats in what’s called the “Reading Room,” its towering walls bedecked with historic murals from the 1920s, Tory MPs and senators discussed issues under the usual cloak of secrecy.
At the front of the room, likely sitting at his normal spot on a raised dais, was Harper.
Then, in the hallway outside, shots began ringing out in rapid succession. Five, then 10, then 20 or 30, some believe. Possibly more.
A gunman, who was killed by police in the incident, had entered the Centre Block under the iconic Peace Tower just moments before, and had walked right by the door leading into the room containing Harper and his Conservatives.
Following security protocol, Harper was quickly whisked from Parliament Hill to an undisclosed location.
At 10:20 a.m., Harper’s director of communications, Jason MacDonald, tweeted: ”@pmharper is safe and has left Parliament Hill.”
Inside the caucus room, however, pandemonium quickly ensued. Conservative MPs piled chairs as high as they could against all the doors inside the room as a barricade to keep out the shooter.
Former Mounties such as Tory MPs David Wilks and Rob Clarke helped secured the room and keep Conservative caucus members as calm as possible, according to some inside the room.
Conservative MPs, who usually hand in their BlackBerries as soon as they walk into the caucus room, eventually grabbed their phones to send out messages letting loved ones and staff know they were okay.
“Mom Im okay Im in hiding,” tweeted Conservative cabinet minister Michelle Rempel. “Is it clear people? shots were outside caucus room,” she later tweeted as she was locked up inside.
A picture posted on Twitter and credited to Conservative MP Nina Grewal showed green chairs from the Tory caucus room piled up against a door, and MPs glued to their phones taking calls or sending messages.
“Shots fired just outside our caucus meeting. Am ok,” tweeted Conservative MP Eve Adams, parliamentary secretary to the health minister.
Treasury Board president Tony Clement told the Ottawa Citizen: “Well, it all happened so fast. Two booms then lots of gunfire. Some of us escaped while others barricaded themselves.”
Now, in the wake of the shooting that left a Canadian soldier dead, parliamentarians in shock, and much of downtown Ottawa in lockdown, the prime minister faces one of the biggest challenges of his political career.
Earlier in the week, a Canadian soldier in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. had been run down by a vehicle operated by a man who the government said had been “radicalized.”
“This was a despicable act of violence that strikes against not just this soldier and his colleagues but frankly against our very values as a civilized democracy,” Harper had told the Commons on Tuesday.
Now, after the unprecedented twin attacks at Canada’s War Memorial and Parliament Hill, an intense spotlight will shine on how the Conservative government tightens security measures against radicalized attackers opposed to this country’s policies, such as the military mission against ISIL in Iraq.
At 12:06 p.m., another statement by the PMO’s MacDonald was released, which referred to the earlier attack at the National War Memorial and on Parliament Hill.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were attacked. The Prime Minister is safe and not on Parliament Hill and being briefed by security officials. “
MacDonald said the police “continue to do their important work and we are still gathering the facts.”
With that, Harper burrowed down with officials to review the attack – what was known about the gunman and whether other suspects might still be on the loose – and prepared to make a statement to Canadians during the evening.
By 1 p.m., Harper was meeting with RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, said the which did not divulge the location.
At 2:28 p.m., the PMO tweeted a photo of Harper speaking to U.S. President Barack Obama on the phone about the attack.
Meanwhile, Harper also spoke to NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. The NDP caucus had been meeting directly across the hall from the Tories and its members were also fortunate that the attacker did not enter their room. The Liberals had been holding their caucus meeting at the time of the attack, one floor below the Tories and NDP.
At 2:25 p.m., the PMO released a statement saying that Harper was “thankful that Mr. Mulcair and Mr. Trudeau are safe.
“The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of the continued functioning of the government and our Parliament,” said the PMO.
“While the Prime Minister stated that facts are still being gathered, he condemned this despicable attack.”
At 4:08 p.m., the PMO tweeted a photo of Harper in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As the crisis evolved, cabinet ministers began gathering with Harper.
At 6:08 p.m., the PMO tweeted a photo of Harper meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Defence Minister Rob Nicholson, Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney and Justice Minister Peter MacKay.
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