Canadian PM delivers address after Parliament Hill shooting

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a televised address in the wake of a shooting in Ottawa's Parliament Hill that left one soldier dead and the capital on lockdown.

“This week’s events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere around the world,” Harper said in his address to the nation.

“We are also reminded that attacks on our security personnel and our institutions of governance 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. But let there be no misunderstanding. We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated.”

Harper was in the parliament building when the attack began, addressing members of his party on the increased terror threat to Canada. He was rushed out of the building and evacuated to safety. Adjacent rooms were occupied by MPs discussing new efforts to crack down on homegrown terrorism.

The attack began just before 10am on Wednesday when Michael Zehaf-Bibeau emerged from a car and opened fire on the ceremonial guard of Ottawa’s war memorial, across from the parliament buildings. Corporal Nathan Cirillo, standing guard over the tomb commemorating fallen soldiers, was hit. He was rushed to hospital but died from his wounds shortly after. 

Zehaf-Bibeau then made his way across the street on to the front lawn of the parliament building. It remains unclear how but he made his way into the building before being shot dead by Kevin Vickers, the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms and a former officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Yesterday's incident was the second time in two days that the country’s security forces had confronted an attack on the streets: on Monday a man described by authorities as having been radicalised ran down two soldiers with his car in Quebec, killing one and injuring the other.