Parliament is in lockdown and police are expanding a security perimeter in the heart of the national capital after a gunman opened fire and wounded a soldier at the National War Memorial.
The gunman also injured a security guard on Parliament Hill, where he was reportedly shot dead by Parliament's sergeant-at-arms, according to The Canadian Press.
Cindy Bourbonnais, special assistant to Prince George-Peace River MP Bob Zimmer, learned of the shooting on the TV in her office, around 10 a.m. Ottawa time.
"We're locked in. We're not to open the door. We're to stay away from the windows," said Bourbonnais at around 12:30 p.m. Ottawa time.
Bourbonnais said the buildings had been in lockdown for about two hours, just after she found out about the shooting. The last communication she had with officials was just before noon.
"I don't feel in danger," said Bourbonnais, adding she didn't hear shots fired from her office on parliament's west end.
Security staff on the Hill have told some MP's offices they believe there may be three shooters, and police were searching rooftops in the immediate vicinity of Parliament Hill.
Police say they are investigating "several shooting incidents in downtown Ottawa."
Bourbonnais said Parliament is very quiet as she waits to hear more news. Cell phone and main phone line access is spotty, but she did manage to get word to her two daughters that she is fine.
"It's very surreal," said Bourbonnais, who is from Fort St John, but moved to Ottawa to work in ZImmer's constituency office. "You probably don't realize the sense of urgency being in the middle in of it as much as being outside of it."
Bourbonnais said she hadn't spoke to Zimmer and did not know his location in the building.
Zimmer tweeted just after 10 a.m. that shots had been fired and a "lone gunman is deceased. We are OK."
He thanked the security staff "who put themselves in harms way to protect us. Words can't express on a day like today."
MP Dick Harris watched the events at Parliament Hill unfold from his sick bed, and says the updates are not coming in quick enough.
"I have been conversing with my colleagues who are there in caucus this morning," said a raspy-voiced Harris during a call from the Citizen. "I am so glad to know that my colleagues and staff are safe on the Hill. I'm coming down with the flu so I decided not to go in this morning."
An event like this is something that's been talked about by the security people, said Harris.
"The threat has certainly been there and now it's arrived," he added. "This is a terrible event that is happening right now and it's certainly going to test every element of security we have in this country. Someone remarked to me this morning that maybe our 9-11 has arrived, you know? Certainly it's not as large a tragic event as 9-11 but it's certainly large in Canada's eyes right now."
Harris said he has faith in all the emergency response teams that are on site.
"I'm sitting here with my hot lemon drinks and aspirin and watching this and I am certainly affected because all my friends and colleagues are at the scene," said Harris from his Ottawa home.
Back in Ottawa, Bourbonnais said she's not afraid, but is anxiously waiting to get more information.
"There's a bit of adrenaline because this is something that doesn't happen every day, just praying for the safety of people close to me, close to where I am, just praying for everybody.
- with files from The Canadian Press
