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Several news outlets are reporting shots fired at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, the seat of the national government. There have been three confirmed shooting incidents, one at The National War Memorial, another within parliament itself and a third at a nearby shopping centre.
One ceremonial guard on site has been reportedly shot and killed. Reports say the gunman moved into the building itself, and has been killed by police. Most government officials have been evacuated.
- 1 shooter dead, 1 still believed at large in downtown Ottawa.
- Police searching cars leaving Ottawa trying to go to Quebec.
- Report of additional shots fired near Chateau Laurier Hotel, east of Parliament Hill.
- Police going door to door in downtown core; downtown schools in lockdown.
- All three main party leaders, Harper, Mulcair and Trudeau, reported safe.
Parliament Hill came under attack today after a man with a rifle shot a soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa, before seizing a car and driving to the doors of Parliament Hill's Centre Block nearby.
MPs and other witnesses reported several shots fired inside Parliament, and a gunman has been confirmed dead inside the building, shot by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms, according to MPs' eyewitness accounts.
A tragedy for the soldier killed -- but all I can think of right now is "great, now what security-theatre overreaction will we have to suffer through to close this barn door?"
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @06:03PM
Revolution against the liberal feminist type of government?
Hope it snowballs.
In canada men are imprisoned for reading text describing man on girl sex.
Also no gunz allowed for evil mens.
Marrying female children is, ofcourse, banned in feminist canada.
Revolution is needed. Hope more of this happens.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @06:09PM
In canada men are imprisoned for reading text describing man on girl sex.
Citation needed.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @06:55PM
Back to Slashdot I go. The nutter/nerd ratio is too high on this site.
(Score: 1) by takyon on Wednesday October 22 2014, @07:07PM
Nice, you used first post to determine the ratio.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @07:36PM
Its all just one guy. Get him talking and sound like you're not a retard and I guarantee he'll call you Tork.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @09:54PM
Because nobody trolls on the green site.
Good riddance to you, sir.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Wednesday October 22 2014, @06:14PM
Canada, At War For 13 Years, Shocked That 'A Terrorist' Attacked Its Soldiers [firstlook.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by strattitarius on Wednesday October 22 2014, @06:49PM
Slashdot Beta Sucks. Soylent Alpha Rules. News at 11.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday October 22 2014, @07:46PM
Education would help reduce the number of oppressed, poor, and weak-minded people.
Some other measures the US, EU, and other rich countries could do that would actually reduce terrorism:
1. End bombing / drone strikes on countries we're not at war with, like Yemen and Pakistan, because for some reason people get all pissed off when their home goes from being a decent place to live to a pile of rubble with the bodies of their wife and children inside.
2. Use tariffs and other regulations on the state-side businesses to push multinationals to treat workers in other countries better than they do now, and pay a fair wage rather than simply beating them up if they protest.
3. Use tariffs and other regulations on the state-side businesses to push multinationals to reduce their levels of pollution in foreign countries (as well as state-side). If your brain doesn't work properly because it's been doused with DDT or something nastier, you're going to be poor, oppressed, and weak-minded.
4. Support democracy around the world even if the citizens elect governments we disagree with. That's what the US in particular didn't do in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, and it's why lots of people in Cuba, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Venezuela, Iran, Egypt, and a lot of other places are easily convinced to take their (possibly misguided) anger out on us.
5. If you are going to do something violent, whatever you do, don't use religion to try to motivate it. That just plays into the hands of the bad guys. Calling what you're doing a "crusade" or citing New Testament verses is giving the Taliban, Al Qaida, ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas all sorts of justification for what they're doing.
In short, a lot of trouble could be solved by remembering that the vast majority of foreigners want what the vast majority of your countrymen want: A nice to live, enough to eat, clean water, a reasonable amount of personal security, a decent job, and a strong likelihood that their descendants will live a better life than they did.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 23 2014, @02:52AM
Most of your statements make the false assumption that terrorists and nations who support them share the same values as the Western world. They do not. They're not interested in living in peace with us, they're interested in spreading Islam and Sharia Law through force and brutality. We need to stop treating them as our equals, realize that they don't respect the Geneva convention, and that there isn't a level too low for them to stoop to. Reasoning with them or trying to force our values on them will not work. No amount of outreach, fair trade or non-involvement in their politics will change that.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday October 23 2014, @03:01AM
1. End bombing / drone strikes on countries we're not at war with, like Yemen and Pakistan, because for some reason people get all pissed off when their home goes from being a decent place to live to a pile of rubble with the bodies of their wife and children inside.
How many of these terrorist attacks come from people with anything resembling a legitimate grievance?
2. Use tariffs and other regulations on the state-side businesses to push multinationals to treat workers in other countries better than they do now, and pay a fair wage rather than simply beating them up if they protest.
Then they'll stop employing those workers until the multinationals work around those tariffs and regulations. The only reason developing world workers get work of this sort is because they don't accept a so-called "fair wage". That's their primary competitive advantage. And as has been noted before, multinational businesses tend to pay better than the alternatives. Same goes for pollution. Those places will be highly polluted anyway, but at least they're getting paid better for it when multinational businesses are involved.
4. Support democracy around the world even if the citizens elect governments we disagree with. That's what the US in particular didn't do in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, and it's why lots of people in Cuba, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Venezuela, Iran, Egypt, and a lot of other places are easily convinced to take their (possibly misguided) anger out on us.
I think this is the first good point you've made. I think though it also shows the ridiculous elevation of hypocrisy above other sins. Nobody gives ISIS much grief for ethnic cleansing or being a bunch of world-class assholes, but if the US or other developed world country not entirely live up to expectations set by its hype, then it's a big deal.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Dogeball on Thursday October 23 2014, @01:34PM
How many of these terrorist attacks come from people with anything resembling a legitimate grievance?
Many of these people do not have a personal grievance, but see themselves standing up for people who do [theguardian.com].
That's the trouble with 'weak-minded', you don't ask yourself whether you are doing more harm than good, just if you're on the 'right side'.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday October 23 2014, @02:41PM
In the case of Osama bin Laden, his main grievance was that the US had troops in his country. Most of the rest of the crew involved in 9/11 are Saudis who's subculture (the Wahabists) has generally been mistreated by the US-allied Saudi monarchy.
Umm, we and a bunch of allies, including a bunch of Middle Eastern countries, are dropping bombs on them. I'd consider that giving them grief.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday October 23 2014, @10:33PM
In the case of Osama bin Laden, his main grievance was that the US had troops in his country. Most of the rest of the crew involved in 9/11 are Saudis who's subculture (the Wahabists) has generally been mistreated by the US-allied Saudi monarchy.
That's 13 years ago. For example, the recent Boston Marathon bombings involved a pair of brothers with grievances against Russia for Chechnya. They transferred that rage to a weaker, more convenient target.
Nobody gives ISIS much grief for ethnic cleansing or being a bunch of world-class assholes
Umm, we and a bunch of allies, including a bunch of Middle Eastern countries, are dropping bombs on them. I'd consider that giving them grief.
I said "much grief". I don't consider the current tempo of bombing a serious effort especially for a group that just took over in the course of a year a bunch of Iraq and threatens Baghdad. For example, Turkey is far more concerned about the Kurds coming out ahead than they are about any threat from ISIS.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Wednesday October 22 2014, @09:40PM
I am more concerned with this: let's say you have bought into the propaganda and think these acts accomplish something other than strengthening the popular support for the enemy.
So you are ready to sacrifice yourself for? a guard in ceremonial duty, and then, after you might well have raised alarm, Parliament? who made that plan, the ghost of Phyrrus?
Account abandoned.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Wednesday October 22 2014, @10:06PM
Keeping Canada, et al. involved in a perpetual state of war against Islam may be an important goal of terrorist attacks. The U.S. has blown trillions on the war on terror after all, and some of that ended up in militants' pockets rather than the military-industrial complex. And if you've bought the terror propaganda, you've probably bought into the idea of a favorable afterlife. Don't count out mental illness and self-planning (lone "radicalized" actors instead of terror groups) either.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Thursday October 23 2014, @05:58AM
This shouldn't be shocking AT ALL.
FLQ Crisis [real terrorists who wanted to separate from Canada, see Ukraine].
Oka [would be called terrorists, but we can't because they are natives]
This is just going to be super-hyped by both the gov't and the media into some super-fear-fest thing, that the only way we can be saved is by the deification of the police and the military along with giving them many more powers that obviously don't need anything resembling a warrant, because they are gods.
(Score: 2) by LaminatorX on Wednesday October 22 2014, @07:52PM
It seems that the Sgt. at Arms of the Canada's Parliament is armed with something besides his giant ceremonial mace. Who knew?
(Score: 3, Informative) by skullz on Wednesday October 22 2014, @08:34PM
News article with a picture of the man with the mace:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-shooting-kevin-vickers-hailed-as-hero-who-took-down-attacker-1.2809146 [www.cbc.ca]
Because of course I had to look up the giant ceremonial mace.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @09:19PM
> the Sgt. at Arms
That's a cleric.
(Score: 2) by LaminatorX on Wednesday October 22 2014, @10:52PM
With a missile weapon?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @11:19PM
With the mace.
(Score: 3, Informative) by draconx on Wednesday October 22 2014, @07:55PM
Actually, police confirmed that there was NO shooting at the nearby shopping centre (Rideau Centre), despite early rumours. Source: TFA!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @08:05PM
You can forgive him for missing that detail because he was too busy worrying about how this was going to affect himself.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday October 22 2014, @08:20PM
I grew up just across the border from Canada and we were quite used to crossing back and forth with nothing more than a friendly wave to the guy manning the border post. And through the hellish madness this country has descended into the last 30 years I've always considered that kindly place as a refuge. But with a guy like Harper at the helm I'm afraid that's about to go away for good.
I am sorry we're dragging you down with us, good people of Canada.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Nerdfest on Wednesday October 22 2014, @08:57PM
I'm really hoping the government doesn't use this as an excuse to turn our parliament into a fortress. Up until today at least, we could just walk up to the parliament buildings.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Thursday October 23 2014, @05:52AM
That wouldn't be terrible IF that was all they will do.
But it won't.
This is Harper's excuse to pass all kinds of crazy "you have to immediately turn over whatever information you have to anybody who phones/emails/shows up and says they are police/RCMP/CSIS/secret police".
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22 2014, @09:21PM
What a crock of shit.
I'm sorry, Canada, that we've got douchebags like this, the kind that are clearly more intelligent and insightful than the rest of us [xkcd.com], but he'll get to enjoy the "Insightful" mod points bestowed upon him by some other like-minded douchebags.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by strattitarius on Wednesday October 22 2014, @09:33PM
Bunch of nerds are sitting in a dive bar after work and simply saying numbers and laughing their heads off. SysAdmin1 says "736" and they all bust out laughing. Programmer1 says "242" and again all the crew laughs out loud. A regular at the bar inquires "What's so funny about those numbers". So SysAdmin2 explains that these are the numbers of comics from XKCD and they have them all memorized so all they have to do is say a number and everyone already knows the joke and punchline. At this time Programmer2 chimes in with "957" but none of the crew laughs. The regular inquires to this, "Why wasn't that funny?" to which SysAdmin1 states "Some people just can't tell a joke."
Slashdot Beta Sucks. Soylent Alpha Rules. News at 11.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Dopefish on Thursday October 23 2014, @12:11AM
A good guy with a gun, stopped a bad guy with a gun. Now if only Canada would be more open to letting its citizens at least legally conceal carry, that would be a start.
Sadly, I can only see citizens' rights erode away more and more in response. Only time will tell though.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by dry on Thursday October 23 2014, @06:21AM
How would giving the shooter better arms lead to freedom? Same with the guy yesterday who used his car? At that judging by the American experiment, a well armed citizenry does nothing to protect from the erosion of rights.
(Score: 1) by TK-421 on Thursday October 23 2014, @04:01PM
How would giving the shooter better arms lead to freedom?
Concealed-carry isn't about better arms, it is about fear of the unknown. Assuming I am a "bad guy" with intent on harming person A, if I cannot ascertain the armed status of person A, I might think twice before escalating to violence against person A. I think this applies to everyone but sociopaths and narcissists. Concealed-carry creates uncertainty where open-carry is an overt display of power that may or may not be appropriate.
At that judging by the American experiment, a well armed citizenry does nothing to protect from the erosion of rights.
WRT the erosion of American rights, I agree that it does appear to be a problem but I think that has more to do with apathy than second amendment rights. Pick ten Americans off the street and ask them to identify their U.S. senators and more will fail than succeed. Too many Americans cannot identify the people that are elected to represent them. I don't mean to split hairs but we are a representative republic and that means something specific. If the constituents have little to no connection with their elected representatives then the system is going to skew badly.
(Score: 2) by dry on Friday October 24 2014, @04:02AM
By concealed carry I take it you mean side-arms. If there are lots of side-arms around then the crack-head who attacked Parliament may well have been better armed. Being a mentally ill crack-head, I doubt he would have cared anymore about the chances of someone having a concealed weapon then he did about the cops that were close who had unconcealed weapons. Plus it would have been much easier for him to conceal a side-arm in the homeless shelter that he was residing in. The other guy who ran down a couple of soldiers also probably would have loved to have a better weapon then a car. We don't need more easily accessible weaponry.
We have the same problem here in Canada, very few Canadians could name their Member of Parliament little well one Senator (excepting which ever one is in the news for corruption). Being a representative constitutional monarchy has exactly the same problems as a representative republic, actually more as the executive is mostly ceremonial and when one party has a majority it is basically a dictatorship with only public opinion and the courts to rein them in. As an example the ruling Conservatives are going to push through a bill really fucking with our rights thanks to this crack-head and it'll be years before the Supreme Court declares the laws unconstitutional, the current government never bother checking on constitutionality first
(Score: 1) by deimios on Thursday October 23 2014, @05:44AM
So was this guy a cyborg?
Did he use augmented reality to target his victims?
Did the gun he used have some AI in it?
Did he use a smartphone app to plan the massacre?
Did this shooting have anything to do with net neutrality or the TPP?
Did this shooting happen because the aggressor played violent video games?
Was the shooter the target of a MAFIAA lawsuit for eleventy billion dollars per music track?
Did the shooting result in some new technology that in 10 years time will stop such events?
TL;DR;
Why is this article on the site?
(Score: 2) by bootsy on Thursday October 23 2014, @08:54AM
From what I have seen of the well thought out comments and replies, this news in on Soylent because it leads to a much better discussion than on any other site with comments I have seen.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday October 24 2014, @12:24PM
From the SoylentNews FAQ [soylentnews.org]:
In case you haven't noticed, this isn't Slashdot. :)
(Score: 1) by deimios on Saturday October 25 2014, @04:51AM
I stand corrected.