By Barry Ellsworth
MONTREAL
Two Canadian soldiers run down Monday by a motorist who was later shot and killed by police may have been the victims of a terrorist attack, authorities said.
The soldiers were walking through a parking lot not far from a Canadian Department of National Defence French language university in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec, south of Montreal, when they were hit by the motorist just before noon, according to media reports.
The motorist fled in his vehicle and was being chased by police when he lost control and entered a ditch and rolled over, witnesses said.
He emerged from the vehicle and was walking toward police with his hands up when one of the officers opened fire. He was taken to hospital but died later Monday. Witnesses said they heard about seven gunshots.
Prior to the incident, the suspect was inside a nearby military office and raised the subject of the ISIL before leaving, a police source told a local radio station.
He was approximately 30 years of age and was known to police, but his identity has not yet been released.
One of the soldiers is listed in critical condition while the other is listed as serious.
Conservative Member of Parliament Randy Hoback in Ottawa said that the incident was possibly a terrorist attack. But Prime Minister Stephen Harper exercised caution when he responded to the MP by saying the incident was being closely watched.
“We are aware of these reports, and they are obviously extremely troubling,” Harper said. “We’re closely monitoring the situation and, of course, we will make available all the resources of the federal government.”
The Surete du Quebec, the police department investigating the shooting, said it is too early to speculate on any kind of motive, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Canada’s top general, Gen. Tom Lawson, had earlier warned that Canadian military members could be targeted by ISIL because of the Harper government’s decision to take military action against the terror group in Iraq.
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