Active shooter in Ottawa: What We Know

The situation in Ottawa in regards to the active shooter in parliament is still a developing situation with no clear motive or ID on the shooter that was killed inside the parliament building after a shootout with Canadian police responding to the incident. The soldier initially wounded at the War Memorial in Ottawa is now reported to be deceased.

What we do know is that the situation early this morning comes days after two Canadian soldiers were struck by vehicle being driven by a self-proclaimed Islamic radical and ISIS supporter Martin Rouleau, who was subsequently shot and killed after crashing his vehicle and attempted to engage pursuing Canadian police with a large knife.

Rouleau, 25, was a radicalized Muslim who may have acted alone but had links to other suspected jihadists according to authorities. The commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed Tuesday that Rouleau was one of the 90 individuals the government had already announced it was monitoring. Radio-Canada reported that his Facebook page identified him, in French, as Ahmad the Converted, and included a video with an ISIS logo.

Currently, there are still conflicting reports of how many active shooters there are in Ottawa. One of the alleged shooters was reportedly wearing a black headscarf around his face. While there is not yet a clear motive and identity of the killed shooter, the recent ISIS inspired lone-wolf attack in Quebec and the description of the shooter in Ottawa indicate a connection to ISIS, most likely indirect and inspirational.

In a September 2014 video message from senior ISIS member, Al-Adnani, he implored his followers in the U.S. and allied nations to conduct domestic attacks on civilians, police, and soldiers. Excerpts from the video statement are as follows:

‘Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him.’ 

Why have the nations of disbelief entrenched together against you?’ he asked. 

‘What threat do you pose to the distant place of Australia for it to send its legions towards you? What does Canada have anything to do with you?’ 

As can be seen, the tactic of running over targets with a car and using a knife are consistent with the attack in Quebec by Rouleau. It is also important to note that in this same statement, Canada was specifically mentioned.

However it is still unknown if the attacks today in Ottawa were inspired by ISIS, or a direct response to the terrorist organization’s call for lone-wolf attacks from their followers in Western countries, but the probability can not be discounted.

More details to follow.

UPDATE 3:18 PM

“Numerous gunmen” were involved, said Marc Soucy of the Ottawa Police Service. At least one of the shooters is deceased, the police statement said, and no one is in custody as the joint police operation and search for additional shooters continues.

UPDATE 4:29 PM

“Law enforcement and U.S. government sources tell CBS News the dead shooting suspect is Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, born 1982, and he is believed to be Canadian-born,” reports CBS News.

UPDATE 5:27 PM

The Globe and Mail is reporting that shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau had his passport revoked by Canadian authorities as he was considered a “high risk traveller.”