VIDEO: Ottawa shootings leave locals under lockdown

A gunman opened fire at Canada’s National War Memorial in Ottawa, hitting a uniformed soldier and leading to lockdowns around the nation’s capital. CBC has confirmed that a shooter has been killed by Parliament’s sergeant-at-arms, and MP Jason Kenney is now saying the wounded soldier has now died.

A second shooting incident took place at Parliament Hill, resulting in a lockdown affecting members of parliament (MPs). Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been confirmed to be safe by the Prime Minister’s Office.

MPs were in caucus meetings at the time shots were fired at Parliament Hill.

“I am OK. Praying that everyone is safe,” Prince Albert MP Randy Hoback tweeted. In a text message, he told paNOW that they are currently locked down and the shots were outside of their door.

A member of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill MP Rob Clarke’s office confirmed to paNOW that Clarke is safe, but he is not conducting interviews at the moment.

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She said that Clarke was in a caucus meeting when the incident in the Centre Block at Parliament Hill. She said he was right there when the shooter went running down the hall. 

“Rob is OK,” she said, and added that it is hard for him, because of his previous experience with the shooting in Spiritwood. Clarke sent her a message while he was in lockdown in the caucus room.

“It could have been a tragedy,” she added.

MP Tony Clement tweeted that he heard at least 30 shots ring out during a caucus meeting. He tweeted that they are safe, but still at risk.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirms that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is safe.

Lockdowns around Ottawa

The RCMP is also advising anyone in downtown Ottawa to avoid windows and stay off roofs. The University of Ottawa has posted on its website that there is a lockdown at three of its campuses.

The Ottawa Hospital is also under a form of lockdown at its three sites. Cory Feenstra, who has family ties in Prince Albert, is a rehabilitation assistant within the Ottawa Hospital, but not at the Civic campus where the wounded soldier was taken. The hospital doesn’t want people to go outside if they can help it and people are allowed in for appointments. Patients are being allowed in to the emergency department.

It’s located in the outskirts of downtown Ottawa. Feenstra said there’s no one on the streets downtown except for police officers. 

She said schools are also under lockdowns. “I’m a little concerned for my daughter, I can’t get a hold of her. Cell service is at a minimal.”

Her 13-year-old daughter is in high school, and has a cell phone, but hasn’t responded. People around her, she said, are worried for their loved ones, and are trying to call home. 

Feenstra hasn’t been through anything like this in Ottawa before. “It’s a bit concerning, I guess it’s more the unknowns. Because I feel I’m stuck at work here and I don’t know what’s going on in the world. I’m just going by [the] radio. And is that information accurate? I don’t know.”

-With files from Nigel Maxwell.

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

Below is a video shot by a Globe and Mail reporter of the shooting incident at Parliament Hill.