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Ottawa shooting: Gunman on run after one shot dead and more injured in Canadian capital

Police say case is not ‘an active shooter situation’ but suspect remains at large

Conrad Duncan
Wednesday 08 January 2020 15:03 GMT
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Ottawa shooting: Police give statement as gunman on run after one shot dead and more injured in Canadian capital

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At least one person is dead and three wounded from a shooting in Canada’s capital, police have said.

Officers were called to Gilmour Street in Ottawa on Wednesday morning after reports of multiple gunshots and found several people injured at the scene.

“This is not considered an active shooter situation, but the suspect remains at large and is not in custody,” the Ottawa Police Service said in a statement.

Three people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries and one person has been confirmed dead from the shooting.

Local media has cited police inspector Francois D’Aoust saying the incident appeared to be a targeted attack.

The scene has been secured and sections of the street have been closed as an investigation is ongoing, police said.

“This morning at 7.30, officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Gilmour Street in regards to shots fired,” a police spokesperson said.

Local reporters have suggested that the shooting took place at an Airbnb​ but the spokesperson said they could not confirm that detail at this time.

The ages and genders of most of the victims have not yet been made public.

However, a 15-year-old boy has been taken to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario with serious injuries from the shooting and is in a stable condition, according to Canada’s CBC network.

Jim Watson, the mayor of Ottawa, has encouraged anyone with relevant information about the shooting to contact the police.

“I have full confidence in our Police Service to ensure that the perpetrator will be apprehended and brought before justice,” the mayor added in a statement.

“I also wish to thank our paramedics for their efforts this morning in helping those injured.”

The incident occurred about one kilometre (0.6 miles) from the Canadian parliament​ in downtown Ottawa.

In 2014, a gunman attacked the government building and fatally shot a soldier at a nearby war memorial.

The gunman was shot dead by parliament security personnel and the shooting was later classified as a terrorist attack.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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