The crack of gunshots rang through the halls of Parliament Hill’s Centre Block on Wednesday after a gunman fired on soldiers guarding Canada’s main war memorial, sending MPs into hiding and all federal government buildings into lockdown.

Ottawa police confirmed on Twitter that they were investigating several shootings.

Eyewitnesses said an armed man with long black hair emerged at the National War Memorial, fired about four times‎, and a guard went down. The gunman, who an eyewitness said was carrying what appeared to be a rifle, then ran toward Parliament Hill.

The war-memorial shooting victim was taken to hospital in an ambulance. Police have sealed off the area.

There were also reports of gunfire near the Chateau Laurier hotel, just east of Parliament Hill, shortly before 11 a.m.

One body was visible outside the Library of Parliament, roughly in the middle of Centre Block, but it was unclear if that was a suspect or a law enforcement official.

In an indication that the situation remained tense, the RCMP sent out a warning advising people to stay out of harm’s way in downtown Ottawa shortly before 11 a.m. – more than one hour after the first shots were fired. “Citizens are advised to stay off rooftops and away from windows in the downtown core. Avoid downtown core,” the force said via Twitter.

Ottawa police also warned the public against tweeting the locations of officers investigating the attack.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper “is safe and has left Parliament Hill,” Jason MacDonald, his director of communications, said via Twitter. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair were also reported to be safe.

Police officers at the cenotaph, which is cordoned with yellow tape and bordered by cruisers, ordered bystanders and journalists to move farther away from the crime scene, toward the Rideau Centre mall.

Tensions ran high as the officers yelled at journalists to get back around 10:30 a.m. (ET), with one officer shouting: " Move down! There's an active shooter! If you want to die, stay here. If you want to live, keep moving!”

Liberal MP John McKay said he was just taking off his jacket about to go into the caucus room when he heard "Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!" He assumed the sounds were construction noise, but then security guards rushed down the halls ordering everybody out.

Mr. McKay said the MPs followed security out the back door and then they "huddled out back by the monuments" for a while. "That building is the people's building ... I'd hate to think of us shutting it down because of both paranoia and legitimate fears."

One man watched the scene unfold from a third-floor office that faces the war memorial. “It was unreal,” said the witness, who asked not to be identified. “I heard the shot and looked out the window. . . The shooter came from the west side and aimed right at the young guy that was standing guard and shot him twice. I think he missed with the first shot; it sounded like a shotgun.”

He saw the young soldier fall. No one returned fire. Other guards and police converged on the victim. The scene was “mayhem,” he said.

Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz postponed a planned 11.15 a.m. news conference in Ottawa, due to take place in the National Press theatre, across Wellington Street from Parliament Hill. The news conference was to follow Wednesday’s release of the central bank’s interest rate statement and monetary policy report.

Ottawa mayor Jim Watson released a statement saying he was “shocked and saddened.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured,” he said.

“Ottawa Paramedics and Fire Services provided first response to those injured and Ottawa Police Services are engaged with other law enforcement agencies at this time in pursuit of the criminal or criminals who have carried out this vicious and unwarranted attack.”

In Toronto, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says she and the opposition leaders discussed suspending Question Period in light of the Ottawa shooting, but she says “we refuse to be silenced.”

ISIS’ call for “lone wolf attacks” has hit North America.

The attack took place while two soldiers were standing in a parking lot in Montreal. One soldier was wearing his uniform. The man behind the wheel, 25-year-old Martin Roulea, intentionally hit the armed forces members and then attempted to make a getaway from police in pursuit.

However, Roulea lost control of his getaway car during the chase and flipped. As Roulea made his exit from the vehicle, police exercised the use of deadly force. One of the soldiers Roulea hit didn’t survive. The other only sustained minor injuries.

According to the Independent:

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that Rouleau was known to federal authorities, including counter-terrorism agencies, who “were concerned that he had become radicalised”.

In addition, a textbook weapon of choice for terrorists was recovered at the scene.

While it’s unclear if Roulea planned to use the knife on his victims, the chilling profile picture from his alleged Twitter account reveals whom he supports:

Also, according to an interview from Canada’s The Star with a former friend of Roulea’s, the aspiring ISIS recruit tried to flee the country to fight jihad but was stopped by the authorities. RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson supported the story, revealing that Roulea’s passport have been revoked.

Adding context to the tragedy, Roulea’s friends explained that he had tried to convert them, that “it was a terrorist attack” and “Martin died like he wanted to.” Not shockingly, Roulea was under surveillance for suspected extremists activities.

Even more disturbing, officials said that close to 80 individuals had linked up with terror groups abroad and now returned home. But they are not able to keep tabs on the jihadists because of strained government resources.

Last month, VICE conducted an exclusive interview with an ISIS terrorist in Mosul who proudly claimed that he knew thousands of people in the West prepared to carry out attacks for the Islamic State. Whether this specific incident was a lone wolf or an orchestrated attack remains up for debate.

However, one thing is vividly clear: From the Oklahoma beheading to this attack on Canadian soldiers, ISIS is finding sympathizers here in the West. And what was once labeled a regional threat is now all too close to home.

The incident comes just two days after two Canadian soldiers were run over - and one of them killed - in Quebec by a man with jihadist sympathies.

 Frazzled wrote:
Second attack in a week in Canada.

The incident comes just two days after two Canadian soldiers were run over - and one of them killed - in Quebec by a man with jihadist sympathies.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Troubling news, but I'm surprised this thing happens in Canada, what with the high level of gun ownership, thus acting as a deterrent against.

Doesn't your average Canadian have more guns than your average American?

I'm surprised a citizen didn't return fire, but then, every situation is unique.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Troubling news, but I'm surprised this thing happens in Canada, what with the high level of gun ownership, thus acting as a deterrent against.

Doesn't your average Canadian have more guns than your average American?

I'm surprised a citizen didn't return fire, but then, every situation is unique.

 jasper76 wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Troubling news, but I'm surprised this thing happens in Canada, what with the high level of gun ownership, thus acting as a deterrent against.

Doesn't your average Canadian have more guns than your average American?

I'm surprised a citizen didn't return fire, but then, every situation is unique.

My guess is if someone is willing to shoot at presumably armed soldiers, they would not be deterred by the idea that Joe Citizen might be packing.

 jasper76 wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Troubling news, but I'm surprised this thing happens in Canada, what with the high level of gun ownership, thus acting as a deterrent against.

Doesn't your average Canadian have more guns than your average American?

I'm surprised a citizen didn't return fire, but then, every situation is unique.

My guess is if someone is willing to shoot at presumably armed soldiers, they would not be deterred by the idea that Joe Citizen might be packing.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Troubling news, but I'm surprised this thing happens in Canada, what with the high level of gun ownership, thus acting as a deterrent against.

Doesn't your average Canadian have more guns than your average American?

I'm surprised a citizen didn't return fire, but then, every situation is unique.

 Frazzled wrote:

 jasper76 wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Troubling news, but I'm surprised this thing happens in Canada, what with the high level of gun ownership, thus acting as a deterrent against.

Doesn't your average Canadian have more guns than your average American?

I'm surprised a citizen didn't return fire, but then, every situation is unique.

My guess is if someone is willing to shoot at presumably armed soldiers, they would not be deterred by the idea that Joe Citizen might be packing.

This is Canada. They only have long guns and severe restrictions on those including required licensing.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Having read many a story of criminals in the USA being foiled by Joe Public returning fire

 Ahtman wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Having read many a story of criminals in the USA being foiled by Joe Public returning fire

Not sure if satire or /fanfiction.

 MWHistorian wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Having read many a story of criminals in the USA being foiled by Joe Public returning fire

Not sure if satire or /fanfiction.

I can get a list for you. A long one.

 Ahtman wrote:

 MWHistorian wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Having read many a story of criminals in the USA being foiled by Joe Public returning fire

Not sure if satire or /fanfiction.

I can get a list for you. A long one.

I can get a longer list of crimes that weren't stopped by civilians with firearms, which is neither here nor there tbh. My disbelief doesn't stem from the idea that (some) people have used their weapons to foil a criminal, it is in the "many a story" and the idea that is an incredibly common occurrence.

So how often are guns actually used in self-defense in America? http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcdguse.html

On the high side the estimate runs around 2.5 million defensive gun uses a year, which dwarfs our approximately 16,000 homicides in any recent year, only 10k of which are with guns. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm Of those with guns, only a couple hundred are with rifles. So basically, the guns that the anti-gunners are the most spun up about only account for a tiny fraction of all our murders.

But let’s not go with the high estimate. Let’s go with some smaller ones instead. Let’s use the far more conservative 800,000 number which is arrived at in multiple studies. That still dwarfs the number of illegal shootings. Heck, let’s even run with the number once put out by the people who want to ban guns, the Brady Center, which was still around 108,000, which still is an awesome ratio of good vs. bad.

So even if you use the worst number provided by people who are just as biased as me but in the opposite direction, gun use is a huge net positive.

 Ahtman wrote:

 MWHistorian wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Having read many a story of criminals in the USA being foiled by Joe Public returning fire

Not sure if satire or /fanfiction.

I can get a list for you. A long one.

I can get a longer list of crimes that weren't stopped by civilians with firearms, which is neither here nor there tbh. My disbelief doesn't stem from the idea that (some) people have used their weapons to foil a criminal, it is in the "many a story" and the idea that is an incredibly common occurrence.

Prestor Jon wrote:
Armed citizens stopping crimes is a much more common occurence than people getting murdered with guns.

 Frazzled wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 MWHistorian wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Having read many a story of criminals in the USA being foiled by Joe Public returning fire

Not sure if satire or /fanfiction.

I can get a list for you. A long one.

I can get a longer list of crimes that weren't stopped by civilians with firearms, which is neither here nor there tbh. My disbelief doesn't stem from the idea that (some) people have used their weapons to foil a criminal, it is in the "many a story" and the idea that is an incredibly common occurrence.

You just made the argument for why we shouldn't have police...

CNN reporting multiple gunmen, but that could be jitters.

 Frazzled wrote:
You just made the argument for why we shouldn't have police...

 Ahtman wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
You just made the argument for why we shouldn't have police...

I'm not sure how recognizing this isn't a cinematic Western or 80's action movie means that there is also no crime at all or that somehow we don't need any law enforcement.

 easysauce wrote:
multiple gun men seems to be the most reported that I see too frazz.


unfortunately also just heard that the man who was shot has passed.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stephen Harper "is safe and has left Parliament Hill", his director of communications wrote on Twitter.

All Dakkanauts in the area are to remain safe and well

 SkavenLord wrote:

 easysauce wrote:
multiple gun men seems to be the most reported that I see too frazz.


unfortunately also just heard that the man who was shot has passed.

Yes. Tragic.
Still debating to myself whether it may be jihadist activity due to killing the soldier (could work as a terror tactic like the beheadings) and the location of the shooting. I could be wrong though.

 easysauce wrote:

 SkavenLord wrote:

 easysauce wrote:
multiple gun men seems to be the most reported that I see too frazz.


unfortunately also just heard that the man who was shot has passed.

Yes. Tragic.
Still debating to myself whether it may be jihadist activity due to killing the soldier (could work as a terror tactic like the beheadings) and the location of the shooting. I could be wrong though.

given that this kind of attack, its target, who carried it out, and where, is exactly what was being called for by the jihadi's, Id bet dollars to donuts they are somehow involved.

I head some accounts of eyewitnesses saying they saw the suspect with a jihadi scarf (shmege *sp*) but nothing confimed yet

 easysauce wrote:
your claim that shootings are rare

 easysauce wrote:
your anti gun stance