WHAT THE WITNESSES SAW, HEARD
Many people were bystanders or witnesses to the attack on Parliament Hill on Oct. 22, 2014. Here are a few of their stories from the OPP’s independent investigation, writes Andrew Seymour.
THE WOMAN WITH THE BABY CARRIAGE
She was the first person to alert the RCMP to the gunman on Parliament Hill. The woman, pushing her stroller, ran to an RCMP cruiser parked at the north end of the East Drive, just seconds after Michael Zehaf-Bibeau entered the grounds. “Let me in your car, let me in your car. There is a man with a gun,” the woman yelled at the officer, who had got out of the vehicle to talk with her.
THE DRIVER OF THE MINISTER’S LIMO AND THE BANK EMPLOYEES
Upon entering the grounds of Parliament Hill, gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau’s first stop was the line of three black Chrysler 300 limousines, used to drive government ministers, that were parked in a row outside the East Block. Zehaf-Bibeau walked first to the front of the car, then approached the driver-side window. “Get out of the car and I won’t kill you,” he told the driver. The driver complied.
As Zehaf-Bibeau sped erratically toward the Centre Block in the stolen Chrysler, four Business Development Bank of Canada employees were walking out onto the pavement in front of the Peace Tower. The car slowed and they watched as the driver jumped out, even before the vehicle had come to a stop. The driver, wearing black clothes and a “Palestinian” scarf over his face, reached back into the car and grabbed a rifle and a knife.
One of the employees heard Zehaf-Bibeau shout “some sort of war cry” before entering the Centre Block, according to the OPP report. “He believed it sounded something similar to Allahu akbar” (God is great).
HOUSE OF COMMONS SECURITY PERSONNEL NEAR THE FRONT DOOR
The two guards were posted near the door to the Centre Block when Zehaf-Bibeau opened the west door and entered the foyer. Zehaf-Bibeau shouted something that was heard as: “Someone is going to get it today,” “Have a nice day,” or “Get out of my way.”
One of the officers noticed Zehaf-Bibeau was trying to conceal something in his jacket. He determined it was a rifle, yelled “Gun!” and lunged at Zehaf-Bibeau. During the struggle for the gun, he heard a shot. The officer retreated. His partner watched as Zehaf-Bibeau then turned and pointed the gun at the officer’s chest, looked him directly in the eye, then turned and ran up the stairs.
THE PROTOCOL OFFICERS
Two protocol officers for the House of Commons were standing in the rotunda at the top of the steps awaiting the arrival of the visiting mayor of Haras, France. They heard a security guard yell “Gunman!”
One, a woman, turned and faced the main entrance to Centre Block, where she saw a man point a large gun at one of the security guards. The two protocol officers grabbed one another and started to run to the west side of the Hall of Honour.
As they were running, a shot rang out. One of the protocol officers fell to the ground, dragging the other with her. Both scrambled to a security desk and hid underneath it as more shots were fired. It was then that one of the protocol officers noticed she had a superficial wound to her leg from something grazing her as she ran.
THE CTV CAMERAMAN
It was caucus day, and some news media were present in Centre Block to interview ministers following their meeting. A CTV National News cameraman heard a loud noise, looked toward the source of the sound, and saw people yelling and running toward him. He then heard what sounded like two gunshots, dove behind a stone pillar in the rotunda for cover and saw a man run by him with a rifle in his hands.
THE TOUR GUIDE
A group of about 15 tourists was inside the Library of Parliament as Zehaf-Bibeau made his way deeper into the Centre Block. The tour guide was standing facing the library doors speaking to the tourists when he noticed through the glass doors the silhouette of a person holding a long rifle.
The guide started to move the tourists to the side when he heard multiple gunshots. As the guide shuffled his guests out of the way, he could hear bullets hitting the main desk in the library. And as the guide left the library with the tourists, he heard a succession of rapid gunfire.