"I was just taking off my jacket to go into Caucus, I hear this pop, pop, pop, possibly ten shots, don't really know, thought it was dynamite or construction rather than anything else. Suddenly the security guards come rushing down the hallways, usher us all out to the back of the parliament buildings,"
The suspected gunman has since been shot and killed by authorities inside the Parliament building.
It's being reported the suspect is a man in his early 30's who Canadian authorities had recently declared a potential terrorist threat, and had seized his passport.
Before the shooting at the Parliament Building, a Canadian soldier was shot dead at a nearby War Memorial, putting the whole area around the Parliament on lockdown.
"We heard two gunshots over at Wellington. Then we saw a man with a mask over his face, well a scarf, long black hair. I think he was wearing blue pants and a black jacket. He had a double barrel shotgun and he ran up the side of the building here and hijacked a car at gunpoint, didn't hurt the gentleman in the car, and then took off towards the back here and headed in that direction towards the construction,"
Initial indications are the suspect was acting alone.
Still, Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau is warning people to stay away from the area.
"All measures have been taken to ensure the safety and security of our residents. We are very aware of the large presence of military personnel in our community, and I want them to know that we are committed to their safety. We are asking members of the public to stay away from the downtown core."
The shooting comes just two-days after a pair of Canadian soldiers were run-down by a car driven by a radicalized man in the province of Quebec, leaving one of the soldiers dead and the other in hospital.
That suspect, also killed by police, was on a list of suspected terror supporters.
The attacks have coincided with Canada sending fighter jets to assist in the air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria.
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