Terrified onlookers described how they ducked behind walls and ran for cover as frenzied gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau seemed 'to hunt people down' at the Canadian National War Memorial . Construction worker Matthew Blais said he saw one man fall to the ground while others tried to escape the gunman, who  let off more shots than he could count. 'I seen a lot of people running and a I saw a guy go down I don't know how many he hit,' he told Maclean's news magazine. 'From what I seen he was trying to hunt people down and get them really quick.' Onlookers described chaos outside Parliament buildings as gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau started shooting . Police, bystanders and soldiers aid soldier Corporal Nathan Cirillo who was shot at the National War Memorial . Amid the chaos at the War Memorial in Ottawa yesterday, Muslim convert Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed 24-year-old Corporal Nathan Cirillo as he stood guard. Raivo Nommik was near the monument when the gunman appeared with his face covered and he told the Ottawa Sun that he initially thought the gunfire was 'ceremonial shots'. He added: 'And then I saw the guy with the rifle and I saw the second soldier there running ... he ran over one of the walls here and I just ducked down behind the wall until the shots had stopped.' Witness described how the gunman then raced towards Parliament buildings, where he opened fire again, before being shot dead by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms. Paramedics pull the injured soldier away after the gunman ran from the Memorial and made for Parliament . Onlookers described panic and confusion outside Parliament after a gunman started firing . 'He was over by the War Memorial and he fired off four shots and then he took off toward the Parliament Buildings, jumping over the hedge, jumping over the fence. I don't know where he went from there,' onlooker Chuck Bromley told the newspaper. 'We were scared like hell,' Jan Lugtenborg, a tourist from the Netherlands, added. Business journalist Peter Henderson told CNN that onlookers rushed to the fallen soldier, who had suffered 'catastrophic' injuries, and began to perform CPR. 'To the best of my knowledge, (he) looked like ... a young man,' Henderson said. 'It appeared as though he had been hit in the back several times.' The horrific events of yesterday when Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot dead a soldier and opened fire in Parliament . Armed RCMP officers guard Parliament following the shooting of Corporal Nathan Cirillo at the War Memorial . Labor minister Ric McIver was outside Parliament when Zehaf-Bibeau approached. He told the Calgary Sun: 'Lo and behold, the brown Toyota Corolla with no licence plate, roared up the street and screeched to a halt, five, 10 meters from us. 'The gunman was coming right at me, right toward me. So I considered my options. Frankly, I was a little concerned about getting shot. 'I was close enough. I didn't know whether I had to attack to save myself or run. I didn't think I could get to him before he could pull the trigger. I made a decision not to confront him. I ran.' Police officers take cover near Parliament Hill as the gunman opens fire sending Parliament into lockdown . Gunshots rang out in Parliament just before 10am sending MPs and journalists scrambling for safety . Desperate to create a distance between himself and the gunman, Mr McIver dashed to a parking lot with vehicles that was about 30 or 40 metres away. He said: 'I was looking over my shoulder in case I had to hit the deck. I was thinking: If he cocks the gun toward me my best chance is to hit the deck. He never did cock the gun toward me. 'I found a car and ducked behind it. 'He didn't pay me any attention. I watched him and, with the rifle in his hand, he walked around the corner of the East Block toward the Parliament building.' A little before 10am, gunshots rang out in Parliament. Canadian Deputy House Leader Kevin Lamoureux described how he heard gunfire just after security instructed everyone to clear the building. MPs barricade themselves in a meeting room after hearing gunfire in Parliament Building yesterday . 'I heard rapid fire - gunshots going very loud - and I figure maybe 20-plus shots within 10 seconds,' he told CNN. MP Tony Clement Tweeted: 'Shots fired during caucus meeting. at least 30 shots. MPs piled out. I'm safe with 2 colleagues but we're still at risk...' An hour later he posted: 'Still patiently awaiting rescue here in Centre Block. I feared this day would come, and my prayers are with the fallen soldier.' Other Tweets reveal the fear and confusion experienced by MPs. Joyce Murray posted: 'What's happening on #Parliament Hill? Everyone told to go into offices and lock the door!' MPs and journalists Tweeted from inside the building expressing confusion, fear and sadness for the events of yesterday, as well as thanking the security guards who kept them safe after a gunman opened fire . She then wrote: 'More yelling, gunshot sounds in Centre Block #ParliamentHill. A lot!' Journalist Justin Ling described how he sat huddled behind a low wall in the Parliamentary cafeteria with two dozen other reporters staffers and cooks, after being told there was an 'active shooter' in the building. 'Frantic laughter occasionally broke the doldrums of terror,' he wrote in his first-person account in the Evening Standard. 'Suddenly, a series of bangs coming from the fire exit behind us spooked us into action. 'What sounded resoundingly like gunshots, but what we now assume was a battering ram, pushed us to scatter. We ducked behind the lunch counter as the two unarmed security guards, clad in blue shirts and heavy black bulletproof vests, grabbed kitchen knives.' A Royal Canadian Mounted Police intervention team responds to reports of gunfire in Parliament . Susan Truppe Tweeted: 'In lockdown from shooters. Safe right now from gunman. Very scary.' Globe and Mail reporter Josh Wingrove was in the parliament building when gunfire erupted in the hallways, sending journalists and politicians running for cover. In his first-hand account in the newspaper, the reporter wrote: 'Witnesses scrambled past me, fleeing toward the House of Commons side of the building as officers drew their weapons, looking down the Hall of Honour... It seemed no one knew where the suspect was.' The journalist was following police down the hallway towards the Library of Parliament when a second round of shooting broke out. Corporal Cirillo (left) is pictured guarding the National War Memorial just minutes before he was shot and killed . Corporal Nathan Cirillo was rushed to hospital after being shot but he died from his wounds shortly after . 'I ducked for cover to the left of the hallway,' he wrote. 'To be honest, it is a blur. I slid out to a pillar as the shooting continued – most or all of it from guards, aimed toward the library.' 'I heard maybe two dozen shots. Afterward, I turned off the video to tweet photos of what, to me, appeared to be a body. I presume, but don’t know, that was the shooter, whom I hadn’t seen until then.' With the building in lockdown, Mr Wingrove said the rest of the day was spent mainly waiting in a holding room. 'The people in this room are shaken, confused, exhausted,'  he wrote at the time. 'Mostly we are just bored and waiting.' It was later revealed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was immediately evacuated from Parliament and taken to an undisclosed location. The lockdown in Parliament was stopped shortly after he addressed the country condemning the horrific act, which he labeled as a terrorist attack. Reflecting on the events yesterday, Mr Wingrove wrote in the Globe and Mail: 'It was chaotic, and heartbreaking. I can’t imagine Wednesdays here will ever be quite the same.' Michael Zehaf-Bibeau - the Muslim convert who killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo and opened fire on Parliament . Police wait outside Parliament after the building went into lockdown yesterday morning. MPs Tweeted that there was fear and confusion inside after the gunman opened fire .
Onlookers hid behind walls and ran for cover as the gunman opened fire .
Michael Zehaf-Bibeau fatally shot  Corporal Nathan Cirillo as he stood guard .
MPs and journalists described fear and confusion as they heard gunfire .
Zehaf-Bibeau was shot dead by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms .
Terrified onlookers described how they ducked behind walls and ran for cover as frenzied gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau seemed 'to hunt people down' at the Canadian National War Memorial . Construction worker Matthew Blais said he saw one man fall to the ground while others tried to escape the gunman, who  let off more shots than he could count. 'I seen a lot of people running and a I saw a guy go down I don't know how many he hit,' he told Maclean's news magazine. 'From what I seen he was trying to hunt people down and get them really quick.' Onlookers described chaos outside Parliament buildings as gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau started shooting . Police, bystanders and soldiers aid soldier Corporal Nathan Cirillo who was shot at the National War Memorial . Amid the chaos at the War Memorial in Ottawa yesterday, Muslim convert Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed 24-year-old Corporal Nathan Cirillo as he stood guard. Raivo Nommik was near the monument when the gunman appeared with his face covered and he told the Ottawa Sun that he initially thought the gunfire was 'ceremonial shots'. He added: 'And then I saw the guy with the rifle and I saw the second soldier there running ... he ran over one of the walls here and I just ducked down behind the wall until the shots had stopped.' Witness described how the gunman then raced towards Parliament buildings, where he opened fire again, before being shot dead by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms. Paramedics pull the injured soldier away after the gunman ran from the Memorial and made for Parliament . Onlookers described panic and confusion outside Parliament after a gunman started firing . 'He was over by the War Memorial and he fired off four shots and then he took off toward the Parliament Buildings, jumping over the hedge, jumping over the fence. I don't know where he went from there,' onlooker Chuck Bromley told the newspaper. 'We were scared like hell,' Jan Lugtenborg, a tourist from the Netherlands, added. Business journalist Peter Henderson told CNN that onlookers rushed to the fallen soldier, who had suffered 'catastrophic' injuries, and began to perform CPR. 'To the best of my knowledge, (he) looked like ... a young man,' Henderson said. 'It appeared as though he had been hit in the back several times.' The horrific events of yesterday when Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot dead a soldier and opened fire in Parliament . Armed RCMP officers guard Parliament following the shooting of Corporal Nathan Cirillo at the War Memorial . Labor minister Ric McIver was outside Parliament when Zehaf-Bibeau approached. He told the Calgary Sun: 'Lo and behold, the brown Toyota Corolla with no licence plate, roared up the street and screeched to a halt, five, 10 meters from us. 'The gunman was coming right at me, right toward me. So I considered my options. Frankly, I was a little concerned about getting shot. 'I was close enough. I didn't know whether I had to attack to save myself or run. I didn't think I could get to him before he could pull the trigger. I made a decision not to confront him. I ran.' Police officers take cover near Parliament Hill as the gunman opens fire sending Parliament into lockdown . Gunshots rang out in Parliament just before 10am sending MPs and journalists scrambling for safety . Desperate to create a distance between himself and the gunman, Mr McIver dashed to a parking lot with vehicles that was about 30 or 40 metres away. He said: 'I was looking over my shoulder in case I had to hit the deck. I was thinking: If he cocks the gun toward me my best chance is to hit the deck. He never did cock the gun toward me. 'I found a car and ducked behind it. 'He didn't pay me any attention. I watched him and, with the rifle in his hand, he walked around the corner of the East Block toward the Parliament building.' A little before 10am, gunshots rang out in Parliament. Canadian Deputy House Leader Kevin Lamoureux described how he heard gunfire just after security instructed everyone to clear the building. MPs barricade themselves in a meeting room after hearing gunfire in Parliament Building yesterday . 'I heard rapid fire - gunshots going very loud - and I figure maybe 20-plus shots within 10 seconds,' he told CNN. MP Tony Clement Tweeted: 'Shots fired during caucus meeting. at least 30 shots. MPs piled out. I'm safe with 2 colleagues but we're still at risk...' An hour later he posted: 'Still patiently awaiting rescue here in Centre Block. I feared this day would come, and my prayers are with the fallen soldier.' Other Tweets reveal the fear and confusion experienced by MPs. Joyce Murray posted: 'What's happening on #Parliament Hill? Everyone told to go into offices and lock the door!' MPs and journalists Tweeted from inside the building expressing confusion, fear and sadness for the events of yesterday, as well as thanking the security guards who kept them safe after a gunman opened fire . She then wrote: 'More yelling, gunshot sounds in Centre Block #ParliamentHill. A lot!' Journalist Justin Ling described how he sat huddled behind a low wall in the Parliamentary cafeteria with two dozen other reporters staffers and cooks, after being told there was an 'active shooter' in the building. 'Frantic laughter occasionally broke the doldrums of terror,' he wrote in his first-person account in the Evening Standard. 'Suddenly, a series of bangs coming from the fire exit behind us spooked us into action. 'What sounded resoundingly like gunshots, but what we now assume was a battering ram, pushed us to scatter. We ducked behind the lunch counter as the two unarmed security guards, clad in blue shirts and heavy black bulletproof vests, grabbed kitchen knives.' A Royal Canadian Mounted Police intervention team responds to reports of gunfire in Parliament . Susan Truppe Tweeted: 'In lockdown from shooters. Safe right now from gunman. Very scary.' Globe and Mail reporter Josh Wingrove was in the parliament building when gunfire erupted in the hallways, sending journalists and politicians running for cover. In his first-hand account in the newspaper, the reporter wrote: 'Witnesses scrambled past me, fleeing toward the House of Commons side of the building as officers drew their weapons, looking down the Hall of Honour... It seemed no one knew where the suspect was.' The journalist was following police down the hallway towards the Library of Parliament when a second round of shooting broke out. Corporal Cirillo (left) is pictured guarding the National War Memorial just minutes before he was shot and killed . Corporal Nathan Cirillo was rushed to hospital after being shot but he died from his wounds shortly after . 'I ducked for cover to the left of the hallway,' he wrote. 'To be honest, it is a blur. I slid out to a pillar as the shooting continued – most or all of it from guards, aimed toward the library.' 'I heard maybe two dozen shots. Afterward, I turned off the video to tweet photos of what, to me, appeared to be a body. I presume, but don’t know, that was the shooter, whom I hadn’t seen until then.' With the building in lockdown, Mr Wingrove said the rest of the day was spent mainly waiting in a holding room. 'The people in this room are shaken, confused, exhausted,'  he wrote at the time. 'Mostly we are just bored and waiting.' It was later revealed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was immediately evacuated from Parliament and taken to an undisclosed location. The lockdown in Parliament was stopped shortly after he addressed the country condemning the horrific act, which he labeled as a terrorist attack. Reflecting on the events yesterday, Mr Wingrove wrote in the Globe and Mail: 'It was chaotic, and heartbreaking. I can’t imagine Wednesdays here will ever be quite the same.' Michael Zehaf-Bibeau - the Muslim convert who killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo and opened fire on Parliament . Police wait outside Parliament after the building went into lockdown yesterday morning. MPs Tweeted that there was fear and confusion inside after the gunman opened fire .
behind walls and ran for cover as frenzied gunman Cirillo as he stood guard. Raivo Nommik was near dead by the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms. Lamoureux described how he heard gunfire just door!' MPs and journalists Tweeted from inside killed . Corporal Nathan Cirillo was rushed to fear and confusion inside after the gunman opened fire .