Tributes pour in for slain Canadian soldier as his family and dogs grieve
Corporal Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed while standing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Canada's National War Memorial.
His death - at the hands of a gunman placed on a terror watch list - shocked Canadians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and lawmakers alike.
As they paid their respects to the soldier and fought hard to comprehend the events of the past week (the gunman had fired shots in parliament building before he was eventually shot), his family is struggling to come to terms with the senseless violence that has taken one of their own so suddenly.
"Our family is grieving. Right now is the wrong time to talk" a relative told Canadian Press, The Guardian reported.
Then, there are the pictures of Cirillo's dogs poking their heads from under the gate, seemingly waiting for the owner who will never return home.
They reflect the heartbreak that the Cirillo family is currently feeling.
A few hundred people joined lawmakers from all parties at the war memorial on Thursday (Oct 23) to lay flowers, before breaking into a spontaneous rendition of the national anthem.
A large crowd had gathered at the site, still cordoned off with yellow police ribbon.
The need to pay their respects and show defiance in the face of the unexpected threat from within Canadian society was palpable.
“We will be vigilant, but we will not run scared,” Harper later told his colleagues in the House of Commons as parliament resumed normal operations following a moment of silence for the dead soldier.
Sources: Reuters, The Guardian, Twitter
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now