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Shots fired in Canadian Parliament building

Gunshots could be heard within the Parliament building.

By Ed Adamczyk

OTAWA , Ontario, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Story updated Oct. 22, 2014 11:36 a.m. EDT:

Attacker has been shot and killed, CBC News reports.

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Original story follows:

A soldier at Ottawa's Canadian War Memorial was shot Wednesday morning by an assailant who then ran toward the capital's Parliament building.

Multiple shots could be heard within the Center Block of the massive government building, which was immediately locked down as police arrived.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in the building at the time of the incident, but left to an undisclosed location and is safe, a spokesman said. Three political parties were holding caucuses within the building at the time.

Witnesses said a car arrived at the War Memorial shortly before 10 a.m. A man with a rifle exited the car and fired five or six shots, the Ottawa Citizen reported. A uniformed soldier, standing guard at the monument, was shot in the abdomen and was hospitalized after onlookers and paramedics provided emergency help. The alleged shooter, described as wearing what a witness called an "Arabic scarf," returned to the car and drove to Parliament Hill.

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Legislators within the Parliament building were moved to safe rooms, and journalists were ordered by police to lie on the floor in a hallway near the House of Commons, the New York Times reported.

Police exchanged gunfire inside the building, and video was captured by a reporter for the Globe and Mail.

The incident came two days after two Canadian soldiers were struck by a car near Montreal in what authorities regard as an act of terrorism. One of the soldiers died from his injuries.

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