Ottawa shooting: Man arrested at gunpoint as prime minister Stephen Harper lays flowers at National War Memorial

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A man was arrested at gunpoint after crossing police tape at the Ottawa war memorial as Prime Minister Stephen Harper laid flowers to commemorate the killing of a soldier.

Mr Harper and his wife were visiting the National War Memorial when police surrounded the man with their guns drawn and ordered him to the ground.

Ottawa Police said the man was arrested for "disturbing the crime scene", Reuters reported. It was not immediately clear what the man's intent was.

An officer at the scene said: "He crossed the tape. We told him not to. He didn't listen."

The moment was captured on camera and seen by a crowd, including members of the public and politicians, who had gathered at the war memorial.

Corporal Nathan Cirillo was killed after a gunman opened fire at the National War Memorial just before 10am on Wednesday.

The gunman is believed to have then driven in a car up to the Parliament Centre Block, where a gun fight with police took place before he was shot dead by sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers.

The House of Commons was set to open on schedule at 10am on Thursday, with the prime minister due to speak at that time.

Tighter security was evident all over the sprawling parliamentary zone in downtown Ottawa.

Meanwhile, the flag flying over Parliament's Centre Block, where the gunman had burst in on Wednesday morning, was at half mast.

Additional reporting by Reuters