Man with knife tackled on Parliament Hill

A 24-year-old man allegedly carrying a knife during a changing of the guard ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa is in custody after he was tackled by soldiers, parliamentary security and police officers, officials said Monday.

“An incident took place this morning at 10:15 am (1415 GMT) on the lawns of Parliament Hill, during the Changing of the Guard parade,” said the statement from the Department of National Defence.

“Due to the quick reaction of our soldiers, RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and Parliamentary Protective Services, the potential threat was identified and neutralised. No one was injured during this incident,” the statement said.

A 24-year-old male is custody and the @OttawaPolice investigation continues. No further details available at this time. #ottnews https://t.co/sg7R0dI3fP

— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) July 23, 2018

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan tweeted that he was briefed about the incident, adding that he was “relieved that no one was injured.”

I have been briefed about the incident on Parliament Hill this morning during the Changing of the Guard parade. Relieved that no one was injured. Thank you to all Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP and Parliamentary Protective Services members for your prompt response.

— Harjit Sajjan (@HarjitSajjan) July 23, 2018

Canadian police and security forces are on edge following a shooting rampage in Toronto that killed two people and injured 13 others late Sunday. The gunman was also killed.

Security on the parliament grounds in Ottawa, a popular tourist destination overlooking the Ottawa River, was beefed up in 2014 after a lone gunman killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, a sentry standing guard at the nearby National War Memorial, and then stormed the parliament building.

The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was shot dead by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and the parliament’s sergeant-in-arms Kevin Vickers, who was later appointed as Canada’s ambassador to Ireland in recognition of his bravery.