What we know about the shooting in Ottawa

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• GWEN IFILL:

  Chaos came to the heart of Canada's capital city today. A rare mass shooting left one soldier and a gunman dead and two people wounded. It also triggered a day of high drama that included unconfirmed reports of multiple attackers and speculation about whether a terror group was involved.

• CHARLES BORDELEAU, Chief, Ottawa Police:

  At 9:52 a.m. this morning, the Ottawa Police Service received multiple 9/11 calls regarding a shooting at the National War Memorial.

• GWEN IFILL:

  Witnesses to that initial incident at the memorial site say a man dressed all in black with a rifle gunned down one of the honor guard. From there, they say he ran toward the main Parliament building, a short distance away in central Ottawa. Within moments, more shooting erupted.

  Police and soldiers quickly descended on the building, with weapons drawn. Video taken by a Globe and Mail newspaper reporter captured the sound of gunfire echoing down the halls.

  JOHN MCKAY, Liberal Member of Parliament, Canada: I hear this pop, pop, pop, possibly 10 shots. Don't really know. Thought it was dynamite, rather than — or construction, rather than anything else. Suddenly, the security guards come rushing down the hallways, usher us all out to the back of the Parliament buildings.

• GWEN IFILL:

  A cabinet minister said the shooter ran right past a room where Prime Minister Stephen Harper was addressing lawmakers. Harper was hustled away and the building was locked down.

  Ottawa police confirmed later the gunman was shot and killed, but a search of the area continued through the afternoon.

• CHARLES BORDELEAU:

  What we're asking the community is to be is to continue to be aware, to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity that they deem as serious that could impact their safety.

• GWEN IFILL:

  The attack came just two days after a man ties to Islamist militants killed a Canadian soldier with his car near Montreal before being shot dead.

  After that, Canadian authorities raised the national threat level, but they say they had no warning of what was to come today.

• GILLES MICHAUD, National Division Commanding Officer, Royal Canadian Mounted Police:

  I thinks it's still too early to confirm that, but I think that, from our reaction, I think it caught us by surprise.

• GWEN IFILL:

  In the aftermath, the Canadian military closed public access to all of its bases.

  And President Obama spoke by phone with Prime Minister Harper, and offered American help.