Soldier shot at Canada’s parliament building, gunman escapes

A Canadian soldier was shot at the Canadian War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses and reports said the shooter ran towards the nearby parliament buildings, where more shots were fired.

According to Reuters, the buildings were put on lockdown as police and tactical teams converged on the area. The wounded soldier was taken into an ambulance where medical personnel could be seen giving him cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

A witness said the shooter was dressed in black with a scarf over his face as he ran towards parliament with a gun.

Reuters quotes a construction worker, Scott Walsh as saying that the man hijacked a black car at gunpoint and drove it to the Centre Block on Parliament Hill, where construction work is going on.

Centre Block is the main building at Parliament Hill. It houses the House of Commons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of some members of parliament, senators, and senior administration for both legislative houses.

Just two days ago, an Islamic convert, who was later shot dead by police, ran down two Canadian soldiers with his car, killing one, near Montreal.