Man shot dead inside Canadian parliament

One man has been shot dead inside Parliament, after a man with a rifle shot a soldier standing guard at the War Memorial in downtown Ottawa. Police and witnesses are reporting more shots at other locations surrounding Parliament Hill.

It was not immediately known if there were further injuries.

Alain Merisier, who works at the cafeteria in the Parliament building, told CBC News that said he saw a man in a car at the Centre Block with a long gun.

Witnesses said they then heard shots fired, and there was an unconfirmed report of a person injured outside the Library of Parliament.

Police confirmed the shooting at the War Memorial, and sealed off the area while the injured soldier was given emergency medical aid. He was later put into an ambulance.

First responders at a shooting at the War Memorial in Ottawa on Oct. 22, 2014 (Daniel Thibeault/CBC)

"We were waiting there for a city tour and suddenly I heard four shots," said Jan Luchtenburg, a tourist visiting downtown Ottawa from Holland.

"Suddenly I saw a small guy with long black hair... with a long rifle, and he ran away after the shots, across streets in the direction of Parliament Hill," he said.

Reevo Namic, another bystander, said "all of a sudden I just heard a shot, turned around and there was a guy with a rifle....and just pow pow."

"Then I saw one of the other armed forces guys just running. He barrelled over, just ran right over. The other guy just dropped. I looked back and just dived underneath and immediately called 911."

The National War Memorial stands in Confederation Square in the heart of downtown Ottawa. The Parliament buildings are to the northeast.