Shooter at large in Ottawa

[The Supreme Canuck]

Again, it might just have been the one guy - there's very little information coming out. The RCMP keep pushing back their press conference.

Police did just lift a lockdown on a hotel in the area, so that's hopeful.

Also, can I just say how surreal it is to see this on the news? I live here. I know these places. Having downtown teeming with police and cleared of people, on international news? It's just... strange. I'm sure you know the feeling, GJ.

Edit: British high commission, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Israeli embassies on lockdown.

Nothing but praise for Parliamentary security and Sergeant at Arms from MPs. Not like the White House situation.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Ottawa police, RCMP, Canadian Forces, Ottawa mayor giving joint press conference now.

Edit: No new information so far. Sounds like there won't be anything of substance said.

Edit 2: Well, fuck. It sounds like they don't know if there are still suspects at large. Great. They don't know the number of shooters.

Edit 3: Press conference over, pretty much no information given.

Edit 4: President Obama has spoken with PM Harper, offers assistance (not sure what it could possibly be - intelligence, perhaps?).

Edit 5: Security stepped up at American Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington.

Edit 6: Public police presence being stepped up in Toronto.

Edit 7: BC legislature says that they were informed of possible threat in Ottawa area and Canada generally earlier this week. MLAs were informed.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Live CBC coverage here. No idea if it's available outside Canada.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Footage of shootout inside Parliament (non-graphic): YouTube link.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Apart from anything else, security protocols seem to have worked properly. The gunman was stopped and killed in the entrance hall of the Centre Bloc. Within three minutes, security personnel were teeming on the Hill. Within ten minutes, the Parliamentary Precinct was in total lockdown with "serious equipment" already in place. As in, armoured vehicles and SWAT teams just kind of... appeared. With no indication of where they usually hide themselves.

So... good. That's a good thing.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Oh, for fuck's sake... apparently the House of Commons was scheduled this afternoon to debate the Conservatives' move to further loosen gun laws and regulations:

When the House of Commons reopens for business this afternoon, the first item on the agenda -- after Question Period, that is -- will be the opening round of debate on the government's self-styled "common sense" bid to revamp Canada's gun laws.

Link

"Common sense" my ass.

[Cyborg Girl]

What, are they completely starkers? How could that possibly help at all?

(And I can't help but think that "common sense" in this case smacks disturbingly of Heinleinian closet authoritarianism.)

[The Supreme Canuck]

Yep. To be fair, that was the schedule before this happened today. But, still... optics, right?

[Cyborg Girl]

"I am the Decider, and I have Decided."

Edit: so, they still don't know if there are more gunmen at large? Groovy.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Reports of lockdowns slowly being lifted. University of Ottawa no longer under lockdown, office workers starting to be allowed to go home.

Edit: so, they still don't know if there are more gunmen at large? Groovy.

Seems that way. They don't seem to know how many there were in the first place. Now that the reports of a third shooting after the first shooter was killed in Parliament have been confirmed to be false, I suspect there was only one gunman. But they're checking anyway.

[Cyborg Girl]

Hmm. If he was working directly for ISIS, might he not have been part of a cell?

(Maybe not. Could just as easily have been a lone crazy. I sincerely hope so, anyway.)

[The Supreme Canuck]

Almost certainly not. The RCMP have been saying that they've been keeping an eye on radicalized youth in Canada (the guy who did the hit-and-run on those two soldiers Monday was on a radicalization list - in fact, the RCMP had tried to intervene with him before the incident). The RCMP have also been saying that there are about 90 people who have returned to Canada after leaving to fight in Syria and Iraq.

Current speculation is that, if this is Islamic terrorism, this person or these people are either locally radicalized individuals or returned ISIS fighters acting on their own. There's almost no possibility that they're being directed by people outside the country. And there's still been no indication that this is Islamic terrorism at all - that's speculation. It could be anything: white guy gun nut, radical Quebec separatist, Islamic radical... anything at all.

Edit: An American media outlet has named the shooter. He's a 32 year old Canadian citizen. French-sounding name. No confirmation from officials or CBC.

Edit 2: Michael Zehaf-Bibeau. At least that's the unconfirmed report. Canadian-born. "Zehaf" is, it seems, an Arabic name. I don't want to make assumptions based on that, but, well, shit, another Canadian soldier was killed Monday by an Islamic radical.

Edit 3: Name of murdered soldier released. Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada.

[The Supreme Canuck]

CNN vs. CBC:

[The Supreme Canuck]

Jesus. Apparently there were children in the Centre Bloc at the time of the attack on school visits.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Police seem to be clearing out, at least a little. Armoured vehicles leaving scene of shooting.

[Cyborg Girl]

Re CNN, they are in it for money. They rent out advertising space on their website, commercials on their TV channels, etc. Anything that draws more viewers, makes them more dollars... So of course there is a massive bias towards sensationalism. This blatant conflict of interest is considered normal and healthy for some reason.

If you want decent news in this country, you basically want NPR. Their web page at the moment is much more decent BTW.

http://npr.org

[The Supreme Canuck]

Hm. Much better. NPR and CBC are good arguments in favour of public broadcasters, I suppose.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Seeing that Ottawa police have apparently contacted local Muslim leaders, asking them to contact police immediately if they feel threatened or unsafe.

Two thoughts: 1) good for the police - no one should feel unsafe in this city, and no one should tar people by religious association. 2) This kind of suggests what the gunman's motive was. Unfortunate.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Oh, god. The murdered soldier has a son.

Toronto police have issued the same statement to the Toronto Muslim community. Ottawa-area imams have called an emergency meeting.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Cabinet is currently meeting. Statement from PM expected within the hour.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Audio from inside Parliament during shooting: Link.

(Not graphic, strong language)

[The Supreme Canuck]

All three patients remaining in hospital discharged.

Edit: Interesting note - this is only the fifth murder in Ottawa, a city of ~1 million, this year.

Edit 2: There is a remarkable amount of video of the incident.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Lockdown reinstated downtown. Situation "evolving."

[The Supreme Canuck]

Former CSIS counter-terrorism expert says "Zehaf" sounds like an Algerian name. ISIS supporters post photo of Zehaf-Bibeau - not necessarily a link so much as a statement of support. Expert suggests this was an individual acting on his own, perhaps inspired by attack on Monday.

[The Supreme Canuck]

PM to address nation at 7:45 PM EDT.