Canadian police say the gunman who rammed a truck through the gates of the prime minister’s residence was on the loose for 13 minutes before authorities finally saw him.
Media reports have identified the intruder as Corey Hurren, a reservist in the Canadian Rangers, a branch of the military that generally operates in remote and coastal regions.
Hurren, who has not yet been formally identified by police, would be charged with multiple crimes on July 3, deputy commissioner Mike Duheme said.
At approximately 6:30 a.m., Hurren allegedly used a black truck to ram the iron gates of Rideau Hall in Ottawa, the sprawling property where both the Prime Minister and Governor-General live.
Police say the truck was “disabled” after knocking on doors, but still traveled more than 100 meters on the grounds.
Security images show Hurren, with a pistol, and then advance to a rose garden, where he briefly took refuge. Police finally intercepted him when he approached a greenhouse at the far end of the grounds. They said they were able to “dialogue” with Hurren, who lasted more than an hour and a half, before arresting him.
“There was never any danger to the Prime Minister and his family or to the Governor-General, since neither was on the ground at the time of the incident,” Duheme said. She said Hurren had various weapons with her.
Rideau Hall is the official residence of Governor-General Julie Payette, but Justin Trudeau and his family have been living at Rideau Cottage, on the grounds, during renovations to 24 Sussex, the prime minister’s official residence in Ottawa. According to maps of the area, Rideau Cottage is not far from the greenhouse.
Hurren, who is believed to have driven 1,900 km (1,180 miles) from Manitoba to Ottawa, runs a small sausage-making business called GrindHouse Fine Foods. In May, he posted on Facebook that the coronavirus pandemic had taken a devastating toll on his business.
“I am not sure what will be left of our economy, industries and businesses when this is all over,” he wrote.
An hour before entering the grounds of the Rideau Hall, GrindHouse Fine Foods posted a photo of an outdoor party that would occur after the closing, directing people to search for “Event 201.” The reference was to a conspiracy theory that Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, was responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hurren’s company also posted a QAnon meme to Instagram in March, according to reports by Vice News. “Has anyone else been following ‘Q’ and the ‘White Rabbit’ through the rabbit hole and how does all of this relate to the coronavirus / Covid-19 situation? Many coincidences in all these ‘Q’ publications if this turns out to be a ‘Nothingburger’ ”, said the caption.
Duheme said that after talking to Hurren, the police had an idea of his motives. She did not provide details and Hurren was not known to the police at the time.
The 13 minutes that an armed intruder was wandering the grounds of the prime minister’s residence has raised questions about a significant security lapse. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police plans to carry out a review of the incident and increase security in the area.
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