Credit: Reuters/Chris Wattie
The Canadian flag flies at half-mast on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa October 23, 2014.
The grounds of the hilltop gothic building, whose clock tower is a centerpiece of Ottawa's skyline, attracted scores of visitors, many still stunned by Wednesday's attack, which took place as Prime Minister Stephen Harper was meeting with lawmakers.
The attacks on Wednesday and Monday were the work of Canadian citizens, reported to be recent converts to Islam, who appear to have operated independently, police said.
The first victim, 53-year-old Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent died when a man ran him over with a car in Quebec, while the second, 24-year-old Corporal Nathan Cirillo was gunned down while standing a ceremonial watch at a monument to Canada's war dead near Parliament Hill.
Police presence was light at the grounds, which had been closed to the public since Wednesday, and flags flew at half mast from the tops of stone turrets. The parliament building itself remained closed to the public, though House Speaker Andrew Scheer said the building would reopen for tours and visits on Monday.
'It is very important to me that they reopened Parliament Hill. Terrorism won't stop Canada from being open and people going about their lives,' said Alex Borisenko, 25, a software developer living in Ottawa.
'I know that there are measures to increase security, but having Parliament Hill open without a huge police presence stopping the public from coming in is very important and symbolic to Canada's openness as a country.'
The attackers, 32-year-old gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, described as troubled and drug addicted, and 25-year-old Martin Rouleau, who drove over two soldiers, one of whom survived, both developed their radical views in Canada, police said.
Both men were shot and killed by security officers.
The attacks came on a week that Canada deployed additional planes to the Middle East to take part in a campaign of air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Canadian officials vowed on Friday to toughen laws against terrorism in the wake of the attack, though critics warned against moves that would curtail civil liberties in a country that prides itself on its openness. [ID:nL2N0SJ13Q]
Cirillo's body was returned to his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southwest of Ottawa, along the 'Highway of Heroes' honoring war dead, on Friday. His funeral was scheduled for Tuesday. [ID:nL2N0SK00U]
Outside parliament, visitors struggled to process the killing.
'I'm here reflecting. My grandson is in the military and I have four brothers who served in World War Two,' said Rosemary Errington, 80, a retiree from Sault Ste. Marie visiting the site with family. 'It really hits home.'
(Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)
Entities 0 Name: Canada Count: 5 1 Name: Ottawa Count: 4 2 Name: Parliament Hill Count: 3 3 Name: Ontario Count: 1 4 Name: Martin Rouleau Count: 1 5 Name: Middle East Count: 1 6 Name: Sault Count: 1 7 Name: Jeffrey Hodgson Count: 1 8 Name: Hamilton Count: 1 9 Name: Michael Zehaf-Bibeau Count: 1 10 Name: Iraq Count: 1 11 Name: Scott Malone Count: 1 12 Name: Peace Tower on Parliament Hill Count: 1 13 Name: Cirillo Count: 1 14 Name: Nathan Cirillo Count: 1 15 Name: Marie Count: 1 16 Name: House Count: 1 17 Name: Alex Borisenko Count: 1 18 Name: Patrice Vincent Count: 1 19 Name: Islamic State Count: 1 20 Name: Quebec Count: 1 21 Name: Rosemary Errington Count: 1 22 Name: Andrew Scheer Count: 1 23 Name: Stephen Harper Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1rxBscW Title: Canadians line 'Highway of Heroes' to honour murdered soldier Description: The body of a Canadian soldier shot dead by an extremist gunman while guarding the country's war memorial in Ottawa has been returned to his home town. Home grown radical Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, on Wednesday before running into the parliament building, where he was shot dead near where prime minister Stephen Harper was meeting with lawmakers.
