Vancouver South Conservative MP Wai Young stopped at her office in the Valour Building on Wednesday morning to pick up some material for the caucus meeting. What should have been a routine walk on the Grounds of Parliament Hill to Centre Block quickly became something else.
“Had I been three minutes earlier, I would’ve walked right into the shooter,” she said. “Had I been five minutes earlier, he probably would’ve shot me.”
Police and security guards directed her back to her office where she was locked up for most of the day. Young was impressed with the rapid response by police to the area.
“There were police everywhere, slowly shepherding the public, taking people from bus stops, taking them into government buildings to keep them safe,” she said. “In a very short time they had the whole downtown core cleared.”
Young said the incident prompted her to ask constituency office staff to work from home.
“When we are on high alert, and there have been other incidents, it's better to be safe,” she said. “My concern for my staff comes paramount.
“Our hearts and prayers are with Cpl. Nathan Cirillo's family and friends. It's a horrible tragedy.”
Cirillo, a 24-year-old Hamiltonian, was a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who was guarding the National War Memorial when he was shot point-blank.
Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was later shot dead and has been identified as the alleged shooter.
twitter.com/bobmackin
