Canadian Parliament under lockdown after 'multiple' gunmen 'kill soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial before opening fire in the Parliament halls'

• Soldier was shot in the abdomen at the National War Memorial in Ottawa shortly before 10am on Wednesday
• Dozens of gunshots were then heard within the halls of Parliament
• Police say there could be two or three gunmen and 'one or more' were reported to be on the roof of Parliament
• Journalists inside the building reported hearing dozens of shots and seeing a body on the ground
• Witnesses accounts of a suspect included descriptions of him as overweight, wearing a dark jacket and 'Arabic scarf'
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A gunman has killed a Canadian soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial before multiple gunmen fired dozens of shots inside the halls of Parliament in Ottawa.

Police have said there are 'two or three' gunmen inside the downtown building. One of the gunmen has been killed, the Ottawa Citizen reported.

The Parliament's Centre Block was placed under lockdown this morning after witnesses reported seeing a gunman climbing out of his car, grabbing a rifle, shooting the soldier in the abdomen and then running towards Parliament Hill.

Ottawa police received a call at 9.52am that shots had been heard in Parliament, while journalists cowering inside said they heard dozens of rounds and could smell gunpowder in the hallways.  

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Gunned down: A soldier, in his 30s, is raced to an ambulance after he was reportedly shot in the abdomen by a gunman as he stood guard at the National War Memorial outside the Canadian Parliament this morning

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Race: Emergency personnel tend to the soldier after he was shot at the National Memorial before 10am

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Hurt: The Parliament was placed under lockdown after the gunman opened fire on the soldier, pictured

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Aerial: The shooting of a soldier unfolded this morning at the War Memorial in Ottawa and carried on into the Parliament Building, where dozens of shots were heard

Gunshots ring out inside Canadian Parliament

A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Harper was safe and had left Parliament Hill. 

The soldier, a man in his 30s, was shot in the abdomen and died of his injuries, the New York Times reported.

It is not yet known if there are other injuries, but reporters inside the building said they had seen one person slumped on the ground.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2803422/Canadian-Parliament-lockdown-gunman-shoots-Canadian-Forces-soldier-standing-guard-National-War-Memorial.html#ixzz3GtGnV2Qw
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