On the 10th anniversary of the deadly Parliament Hill shooting, former police sergeant Kevin Vickers said “not a day goes by” that he doesn’t think about the incident.
On October 22, 2014, a gunman shot and killed a 24-year-old corporal. Nathan Cirillo, a member of the Argyle Sutherland Highlanders, stood guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial.
The gunman then ran up Parliament Hill and stormed the Center Block before being stopped and killed by RCMP, security guards, and Vickers.
In an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play to commemorate the anniversary, Vickers told host Vassie Kapelos that day was all about Cirillo’s mother, Kathy, and the exchanges they had about a month after the shooting. He said he remembered the conversation.
“There were so many heroic people that day, especially the members of Congress who were unarmed,” Vickers said. He did not speak to the media about the events of that day for 10 years after the incident. “I also pay my respects to them and thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
The former sergeant recalled as “haunting” the “nasty sound” of the gunman’s “deep, wheezing” breathing as Vickers stood just a few feet away.
The gunman had already been shot multiple times by House security guards. Mr Vickers praised the “very brave RCMP officers who were inducted into the Hall of Fame that day”.
“He fired at them,” Vickers said. “The moment he fired, I stepped in front of him and fired my weapon, landing directly at his feet.”
“I looked up and he looked down. I looked up at him, he looked down at me, and I kept firing. And he fell down, not on top of me, but right next to me. ” continued Vickers.
The day after the shooting, Vickers received a five-minute standing ovation from members of Congress.
Asked why he didn’t tell Kapelos, Vickers said: “I think different testimonies have come out with different memories, but I let things go and I live with the memories of what happened to me.” I just thought it was best.” Little has been made public about this day until now. “And after 10 years, I said maybe it was time to reveal what I remembered about the incident.”
The shooting on Parliament Hill occurred just two days after a man plowed his car into two Canadian military officers in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Kenya, killing Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent.
The full interview with Mr. Vickers is available in the video player at the top of this article.
