Ottawa assault: PM went to closet, MPs made spears from flagpoles

OTTAWA, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- As details emerge of Wednesday's assault on Canada's Parliament building in Ottawa, a legislator said weapons were being made by Parliament members in hiding.

An alleged Islamist sympathizer was shot and killed in the massive Parliament building after killing a soldier stationed at a nearby war memorial. While those inside hid in locked rooms, Parliament members fashioned spears from flagpoles to defend themselves.

The unidentified legislator told the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail members of the Conservative caucus made spears from flagpoles in the room in which they were barricaded.

"There were 15 flags up at caucus and all but two were taken down," the legislator said.

"These guys were up there, holding these spears, ready to impale anyone who came in," another source told the newspaper.

Over 150 members of the caucus were in the room at the time. They believed Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Conservative, had been escorted out of the Parliament building, when in fact he was sequestered in a small closet for about 15 minutes before he could be removed from the building.

"Someone knew there was a closet there so they stuck him in there. So for a lot of people it was as though he was gone," the source said.

Some Parliament members said they would keep their flagpole spears as mementos. The legislator added, "Everyone was taking their spears home. I'm going to frame mine."

The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, was shot and killed by Parliament Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, who received a standing ovation when Parliament convened Thursday.