Michael Zehaf-Bibeau: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know about the Ottawa’s War Memorial shooter

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau has been named as the gunman who shot and killed a Canadian soldier at Ottawa’s War Memorial.

He was born in Quebec, Canada. Bibeau is 32 years old. Prior to converting to Islam, Bibeau went by the name Michael Joseph Hall.

Here’s what we know so far:

1. An ISIS Media Account Tweeted a Picture Purporting to Be Bibeau

Just after his name was released, an ISIS Twitter account posted the above picture claiming it was the Ottawa shooter. An hour later, the account was suspended.

Military Studies told Heavy.com that the same Twitter account was followed by Martin Couture-Rouleau. On October 20, Rouleau killed a Canadian soldier by hitting him with his car. Rouleau was a recent convert to Islam and told a 911 operator that he performed the act in the name of “Allah.”

CBS News quoted U.S. officials when releasing Bibeau’s name. It had been reported earlier that Canadian officials had shared the name with the FBI.

2. Bibeau Recently Had His Passport Seized, Just Like the Other Canadian Soldier Killer

Martin Couture-Rouleau, who, like Bibeau, had his passport seized before killing a Canadian soldier on October 20. (Facebook)


Sources told The Globe and Mail that he was recently designated a “high-risk traveller” by the Canadian government and that his passport had been seized – the same circumstances surrounding the case of Martin Rouleau-Couture, the Quebecker who was shot Monday after running down two Canadian Forces soldiers with his car.

This means that over the last three days, two Canadian soldiers have been killed by men who had their passports seized.

3. He Has a Long Criminal Record

According to Montreal reporter Domenic Fazioli, Bibeau was arrested five times in the city. He has three possession charges dating back to 2004 (marijuana and PCP). His two other arrests were for parole violations.

According to CBS, sources say his name was Michael Abdul Zehaf Bibeau, and he sometimes dropped the Michael and went by Abdul Zehalf Bibeau. The Vancouver Sun reported that Bibeau was arrested in British Columbia in 2011 for assault and robbery. The Sun says that in that case, he went by the name Michael Joseph Paul Zehaf Bibeau. The robbery happened in December 2011. According to Global News, Bibeau was arrested in Vancouver again in 2012, this time for making threats.

4. Nathan Cirillo Has Been Named as the Slain Soldier

One of the slain soldier's facebook photos


The soldier killed by Bibeau was named as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. He was a military reservist. Cirillo was from Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. He was just 24 years old.

5. He Was Killed by the Parliament's Sergeant-at-Arms

Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers. (Twitter)

Bibeau was shot dead by the Canadian Parliament’s Sergeant-at-Arms, Kevin Vickers. He was killed inside the Canadian parliament’s Center Block building.

Witnesses said they saw Bibeau wearing a black coat with blue jeans, reports CBC. The same report says gun used in the attack was a double-barrel shotgun.

Alberta Labor Minister Ric McIver told the Ottawa Sun that Bibeau was driving a “brown Toyota Corolla with no license plate.” He added that the car “roared up the street and screeched to a halt.”

...culled from Heavy

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