HALIFAX – The shooting of a soldier in Ottawa on Wednesday coincided with one of the busiest days on Parliament Hill, and a Halifax MP wound up very close to all the action.
NDP MP Megan Leslie was in the party’s caucus room with Leader Tom Mulcair and other MPs and staffers when the shooting took place.
READ MORE: The latest updates from Ottawa
Caucus day is held each Wednesday morning and the Conservative and NDP MPs each hold their meetings in rooms off the hallway where the shots were also fired in Centre Block.
“We could hear this sound from outside the door, on the other side of the doors. Truly to me it sounded like, kind of like, someone was dropping metal chairs on the marble outside,” said Leslie.
There are no reports of injuries to any MPs or Parliament Hill staff, but many were already in Centre Block when the shooting happened.
“I didn’t register what it was and then the security guard came in and barred the doors and told us all to get down, and made a hand signal like a gun, and that’s the first time that many of us even understood what was happening.”
Ottawa police and RCMP later confirmed one gunman was killed in that shooting in Centre Block. Reports from MPs on social media suggest that Parliament’s Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers shot the suspect.
A security guard was inside the Centre Block Caucus room with Leslie and her colleagues and helped them relocate to a building further away for the rest of the lockdown. Leslie was still in lockdown when she spoke with Global News.
“When the all clear came we were run out basically through another door to get out of Centre Block and as soon as we opened the doors,” she said. “That’s when you could smell that really metallic smell of gun powder.”
“It was a long time of being dead silent and under tables and away from windows and under floors…it’s been terrifying.”
N.S., N.B. legislatures increase security
The legislatures in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are took precautions Wednesday after a soldier was shot and killed at the National War Memorial in Ottawa and shots were fired on Parliament Hill.
In Halifax, security was increased at the Nova Scotia legislature and the building was locked down but Speaker Kevin Murphy said daily proceedings would continue.
READ MORE: Halifax-area military bases on high alert after Ottawa shooting
Only people with official passes were let into the building.
Murphy said he also asked for two extra police officers at the legislature.
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said the incident in Ottawa hits close to home because both cities have strong military ties.
He said he has been in discussions with the Halifax Regional Police and local RCMP about the events.
Flags in Halifax will be lowered to half-mast to honour the solider who was killed.
AUDIO: Global News anchor Ron Kronstein speaks to Sen. James Cowan about the shootings
At the New Brunswick legislature in Fredericton, the sergeant-at-arms ordered that legislative assembly buildings be closed to the public.
Dan Bussieres says the decision was made to ensure people feel safe and the buildings will remain closed to the public until he completes a risk assessment and reports to the Speaker on Friday.
The swearing-in of a new lieutenant-governor will proceed as planned Thursday as will Friday’s swearing-in of members who were elected in last month’s election.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant expressed his gratitude to members of the Canadian Forces, and said it is “beyond belief that they are threatened here at home.”
He said while New Brunswick is a safe place to live, people must remain vigilant against potential security threats.
Attacks could signal changes: Dalhousie prof
Dalhousie University law professor Robert Currie, who studies anti-terrorism measures, called the attack in Ottawa “an attack on Canadian institutions.”
He said Wednesday’s attack and an incident on Monday in Quebec where a man ran over two soldiers could be indicators Canada is being drawn into a conflict with terror group ISIS.
WATCH: Parliament Hill shooting timeline
Currie said he expects to see heightened security measures put in place by military and government institutions in the future in response to the events.
He said it does not appear that civilians are being targeted.
When it comes to dealing with domestic terrorism, Currie said it will take a concerted approach with the co-operation of law enforcement and national security along with engagement from individuals of the public.
He said Canada is well-equipped to respond to attacks, but there are challenges in predicting them.
With files from Julia Wong and Laura Brown, Global News, and The Canadian Press
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