- Title: CANADA: Governor General "shocked and saddened" by Ottawa attacks
- Date: 23rd October 2014
- Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (OCTOBER 23, 2014) (REUTERS) PRESIDENTIAL PALACE POLISH, EU AND NATO FLAGS CAR CARRYING CANADIAN GOVERNOR GENERAL DAVID JOHNSTON ARRIVING JOHNSTON AND HIS WIFE SHARON BEING GREETED BY POLISH PRESIDENT BRONISLAW KOMOROWSKI AND HIS WIFE ANNA OFFICIALS MORE KOMOROWSKI, JOHNSTON AND SPOUSES CANADIAN AND POLISH FLAGS VARIOUS KOMOROWSKI AND JOHNSTON LISTENING TO C
- Embargoed: 7th November 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Poland
- Country: Poland
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA1PT0MD4Q2TCJVZ44KEGLY1MN7
- Story Text: Canadian Governor General said on Thursday (October 23) he extends his sympathies to the family of the soldier shot dead by a gunman in central Ottawa on Wednesday (October 22) and called the shooting and an attack on parliament by a reported convert to Islam "deeply shocking and saddening".
Shortly after a gunman shot Corporal Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial, a man armed with a shotgun burst into the Centre Block of Parliament, pursued by police.
He died after dozens of shots rang out a few yards away from legislators.
"The violent acts carried out in our capital yesterday were deeply shocking and saddening. My wife Sharon and I share this profound sense of sadness and we offer our deepest sympathies to the family of Corporal Nathan Cirillo of the Canadian Armed forces who was killed and our hearts go out to those who were wounded," Johnston said after meeting Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in Warsaw.
"I would like to extend my gratitude to the first responders and security personnel who acted with such professionalism. Their courageous efforts at such a time are great comfort and inspiration to us all," he added.
Ottawa police said it was too early to say whether one person was responsible for both attacks. The killing of the Canadian soldier was the second this week with a possible link to Islamist militants.
A convert to Islam on Monday (October 20) ran over two Canadian soldiers with his car, killing one, near Montreal.
Both attacks took place after Canada announced this month it would send six jets to take part in air strikes against Islamic State fighters who have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.
Canadian Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said Canada's deployment to Iraq would go on unimpeded.
The two attacks in quick succession could push the Canadian government to pause and rethink before introducing a planned bill to change the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, said Wesley Wark, a professor at the University of Ottawa, who is an expert on national security and intelligence issues.
The bill to boost the powers of Canada's main spy agency, CSIS, was slated to be introduced in parliament this week.
Canadian police were investigating a man named Michael Zehaf-Bibeau as a suspect in Wednesday's attack, said a source familiar with the matter.
Court documents show he previously faced a robbery charge in Vancouver and multiple drug-related charges in Montreal.
U.S. officials said they had been advised the dead gunman in Wednesday's shootings was also a Canadian convert to Islam. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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