There have been two shooting incidents in Ottawa - at the National War Memorial and inside parliament
A soldier guarding the war memorial was shot and later died of his injuries
A gunman has been killed in the parliament building, it is not clear if other gunmen are at large
Several buildings are on lockdown and residents have been told to stay away from windows and roofs
PM Stephen Harper says "Canada will never be intimidated" and will "redouble our efforts" in fighting terrorist groups
The parliament building remains under lockdown at the moment, with a number of government employees and journalists still inside. Police have told those inside to keep doors locked and stay away from the windows.
Local media say members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been told to stay out of uniforms in public unless they are on active duty.
Kirsty Fyfe in Ottawa emails: I am currently in the HI Ottawa Jail Hostel on Nicholas St. We are right across from the Rideau Centre which has been closed off. All hostellers currently in the building have been brought down to the bar to stay together. Looking out the windows, the streets are really quiet. Scary times in Canada's capital.
Prime Minister Harper's press secretary has released a photograph of Canada's leader being briefed by police commissioner Bob Paulson.
Image source, Carl ValléeTo recap, police have confirmed three shootings in Ottawa today. The incidents were at the National War Memorial, the parliament building and the Rideau Centre. The three sites are in close proximity in downtown Ottawa.
@sheffieldsteelr
tweets, external: #Canada has some immensely brave soldiers. My heart goes out to all involved. #Ottowa #Parliament #StaySafeOttawa
The Mayor of Calgary, Naheed Henshi tweets, external: My thoughts and prayers, and those of all Canadians, with everyone in Ottawa and the brave women and men of our armed forces today.
A spokesman for the Ottawa hospital has confirmed that it has received three patients related to today's shootings. It says two of them are in stable condition, but makes no mention of the soldier who was shot and is thought to have died.
Elizabeth Sanford in Ottawa emails: The huge government complex directly across the river from Parliament, Place du Portage, has been in complete lock down for a while too. Around 10:25 am EDT, about 5 or 6 black SUVs flew by Place du Portage coming across the bridge from the Ottawa side. I would guess that was Stephen Harper.
Joffrey Lupul
tweets:, external Surreal scene outside of our hotel right now. Lot of very brave police officers we should all be very proud of.
Canadian MPs say the government has confirmed the death of the soldier who was shot at the war memorial.
Mark Brooks in Ottawa emails: I work for the Canadian Dept of Finance and our building is located one block from where the shooting took place. We are in lockdown and no-one is allowed to leave. Bridges to Quebec are also closed and the streets outside are eerily quiet with only police patrolling with guns drawn. Apparently there is still one gunman on the loose. Most unusual for what is ordinarily a sleepy government town. Is it just a one-off or should we expect more of this in the future now that Canada (with its allies) has committed to engage in the fight against ISIS?
Today's events in Ottawa come after the Canadian government raised the country's terror threat level from low to medium, saying it was in response to "general chatter" online from extremist groups. The move came after a Canadian soldier was killed earlier this week after being hit by a car driven by a Muslim convert, who was shot and killed by police shortly afterwards.
tweets:, external Two injured patients arriving at ottawa hospital emerg. One with gunshot wounds both stable. Armed police outside entrance
A spokesman for Ottawa's police force has confirmed to CBC that they are looking for multiple suspects. He said no-one was under arrest at the moment, adding that he was unable to confirm whether or not one or more gunmen had been shot.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says there have so far been no claims of responsibility on jihadist websites for today's shooting attack in Ottawa.
Just to be clear, all three sites involved - the National War Memorial, parliament and the shopping mall - are within less than a mile from each other.
Witness Alain Merizier, a waiter in the parliament building, told the BBC a car stopped close to the building and a man got out of the driver's seat holding a long gun. "So he held the long gun, he ran away... he went inside to the parliament and then I heard one shot and that's when I saw the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] officer running after him."
Witnesses are saying they saw people fleeing parliament by scrambling down scaffolding that had been put up for renovations.