US and Canadian air defences were put on heightened alert Wednesday following a shooting in Canada's parliament, and the American embassy in Ottawa was placedd on lockdown, officials said The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) "is taking appropriate and prudent steps to ensure we are adequately postured to respond quickly to any incidents involving aviation in Canada," said a US defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move came as a precaution after a gunman suspected of killing a Canadian soldier guarding a war memorial in Ottawa stormed the Canadian parliament, before being shot dead by police. NORAD spokesman Captain Jeff Davis declined to provide details but said steps had been taken to ensure defences were "adequately postured." State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf confirmed the US embassy in the Canadian capital was on lockdown, and staff movements had been restricted.
Just outside the US capital at Arlington National Cemetery, military commanders "authorised additional security to be implemented at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" as a precautionary measure. President Barack Obama spoke by telephone with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, while Secretary of State John Kerry was also briefed as he flew home from a visit to Germany.
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