Canada reflective, tense in wake of attack on parliament building

armor made their way through the streets with their guns drawn searching for any assailants still at large, as reports spread of a third shooting incident near a shopping center.

The attack started shortly before 10:00 a.m. when a black-outfitted gunman drove up in a car to Ottawa’s tomb of the unknown soldier.

Witnesses reported that the shooter, a man dressed all in black with a kerchief over his nose and mouth and something over his head as well, held a rifle and shot an honor guard in front of the cenotaph point-blank.

Pictures taken of the site showed a woman trying to keep the soldier alive with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

The soldier, a reservist serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, died shortly after being taken to hospital.

“This is a sad and tragic day for our city and our country,” Ottawa’s mayor, Jim Watson, said in a press conference after the shooting. “Our city has lived through tragedy before. This is a different kind of tragedy — its causes not yet known.”

Yesterday’s shooting took place two days after Martin Couture-Rouleau, a recent convert to Jihadism, ran down two soldiers with his car, killing one, before being shot dead by police. The government had previously confiscated his passport when he had attempted to fly to Turkey, where he was suspected on trying to join Islamic extremists fighting in Syria.

On Tuesday, Canada raised its domestic terror threat level from low to medium, with the public safety ministry explaining that the decision was taken as a result of “an increase in general chatter from radical Islamist organizations.”

Security experts said that the Canadian government’s decision to take part in the allied air campaign against ISIS made retaliatory attacks by ISIS or its sympathizers more likely.

“Attacks on our security personnel and on our institutions of governance are by their very nature attacks on our country, on our values, on our society,” Mr. Harper said. “But let there be no misunderstanding. We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated. In fact this will lead us to strengthen our resolve.”

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, speaking after Mr. Harper, said Canadians were united in their grief, and although these acts were designed to drive them to hate, they would persevere and prevail.

The Globe and Mail reports that around Canada, officials moved to tighten security at provincial legislatures and other potential targets. In B.C., the legislature’s gallery was closed to the public, in Alberta, armed sheriffs turned people away who were hoping to tour the legislature, while in Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said citizens would see a stepped-up police presence at some locations.

President Obama conferred with Harper by telephone shortly after the attack.

“Canada is one of the closest friends and allies of the United States,” the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest said “Officials inside the US government have been in touch with the Canadian government to offer their assistance, and that includes in the White House.”