Canada Reacts To The Ottawa Shooting

On Wednesday morning, reports of three shootings in Ottawa, Canada, left the city's residents shaken as the shooter — or shooters — remains at large. Following the initial shooting near Canada's War Memorial that left one Canadian soldier dead, several additional shots were fired inside the Parliament building, and then another shooting was reported near the Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa. Now the city is on lockdown as police search for the suspects.

The shootings started at the National War Memorial, where two ceremonial guards stood watch. According to CNN, the gunman or gunmen shot at one of them, killing him. The next shootings were reported in the main Canadian Parliament building, starting in the foyer and then moving toward the entrance of the library. Ottawa journalist Josh Wingrove told CNN that most of the shots fired came from law enforcement and by the end of it, one man was laying motionless on the ground.

Later on Wednesday, the Rideau Centre, a shopping mall, released a statement denying any shooting inside its premises. As of press time, one suspect has been fatally shot, the police have taken another person into custody, and are currently hunting for as many as three suspects, according to the Guardian.

Immediately following the Parliament Hill shootings, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was evacuated and moved to a safe location. Prime Minister Harper was scheduled to meet with Malala Yousafzai later today, but has canceled the appointment and will instead address the shooting situation to the public later.

The shootings have sparked a flurry of reactions from local residents, Parliamentarians, and law enforcement who took to Twitter to announce their statuses and give updates. Here's how people are reacting to the ongoing situation.

Chaos

Politicians Are Safe

Bravery

A City Shaken

Image: The Globe and Mail/Twitter