Roundup: Answers in the aftermath

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In the aftermath of Wednesday’s attack, it was an emotional morning on the Hill, with ovations for Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, speeches by the party leaders, the sight of Harper hugging the opposition leaders, and then, the reconstruction of events.

The RCMP held a briefing later in the day that included surveillance footage of the events outside of the Centre Block, and it was clear how fast everything happened, from the shooting at the War Memorial, him getting into the car, pulling it around to the Elgin entrance onto the Hill, getting out, running up near East Block, hijacking a minister’s car, driving the rest of the way to the Centre Block, where he ran into the front doors, had a confrontation with a guard that resulted in that guard being shot in the leg, then with RCMP in pursuit, the shooter headed down the Hall of Honour toward his eventual demise as he and Vickers traded shots from around a pillar. All in the space of maybe four minutes.

Out on the War Memorial, people attempted to save Corporal Cirillo, one lawyer and former Naval Reserve medic took turns helping and spoke reassurances to Cirillo as he was dying. The second guard was Cirillo’s best friend, Brandon Stevenson, who tried to give chase before he turned back to help with the CPR.

Just outside of the gate, Alberta cabinet minister Rick McIver, who was headed up for meetings, heard the shots at the War Memorial and then saw the gunman get out of the car just in front of them and start running for the East Block. Inside the Centre Block, the Prime Minister was hustled into a broom closet for safety while other MPs in the room readied to use the flagpoles as spears in case the shooter got through. CBC has new footage of what went down yesterday.

The story of the gunman is starting to look more like a person with drug and mental health issues, who was agitated about the delays in getting a passport, as he wanted to go to Syria to fight there, and he was staying in a homeless shelter when he arrived in Ottawa a few days prior. He started life as someone who studied in private, elite high schools in Quebec growing up. His mother, a senior civil servant, told media that she was crying for the victims and not her son.

A security review is being conducted on the Hill, and from this point forward, Harper will have an RCMP detail with him 24/7, which wasn’t always the case before. Michael Den Tandt writes about how Hill security is too lax, and yet the measures he proposes – things like metal detectors at the main entrance which visitors can’t use – wouldn’t have stopped Wednesday’s attack, as he didn’t sneak onto the Hill – he overpowered a guard at the entrance and shot him in the foot. A metal detector won’t stop that.

Aaron Wherry reminds us of the previous security incident – a bombing – inside of the Centre Block in 1966 and how Parliament carried on then, and will carry on now.

Sources are telling the National Post that the new anti-terror legislation the government is crafting would amend hate speech laws to make it an offence to condone terrorist acts online – which seems like an overreach and violation of Charter rights that the Courts are unlikely to condone. Or as Tabatha Southey notes:

Andrew Coyne notes the subtle politics in the leaders’ speeches yesterday morning, which is actually how things should be playing out.

Stephen Saideman gives Glenn Greenwald a hiding for his comically bad argument that Canada is to blame for the two attacks that took place this week.

In other news, a new 476-page omnibus budget bill was tabled, which includes measures to end telecommunications companies charging people for paper billing, tax measures like doubling the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit and making it refundable, and amending the Investment Canada Act to give the government to take more time to conduct national security reviews of foreign takeover offers.

Omar Khadr has won court approval to expand his $20 million lawsuit against the government.

And here’s a collection of photos of Cirillo and his dogs.