Prince George, B.C. – Skeena-Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen has recounted today’s harrowing events in Ottawa.

He says he was in a caucus meeting with his NDP colleagues as the drama unfolded.

“We meet across from the government (in Parliament’s Centre Block). I was at the back of the room in a chair when maybe an hour into our meeting it sounded like someone banging garbage can lids together very loudly in the hallway. I went to open our caucus door and just then security came in to bar the door.”

He says the sounds he heard were in fact gunshots, perhaps 20 to 30 of them but says it was “so out of context” he didn’t think it was possible.

Cullen says security then instructed the MP’s to “get low to the walls” and barricaded the doors.

He says they were then escorted to a safe and secure room where he and his colleagues remain at this hour.

Cullen says it’s difficult to make sense of what’s happened.

“It’s unreal. This is sacred ground for me. This is our Parliament. It’s the home of our democracy and while we don’t always like what is discussed here and what goes on I think Canadians hold a certain amount of pride for our freedom and security.”

He adds party leader Thomas Mulcair has “had a frank and good conversation with the Prime Minister” and talked about “us getting back to work as soon as possible which I wholeheartedly agree with.”

Cullen calls Kevin Vickers, the sergeant-at-arms responsible for shooting one gunman “incredibly brave” and says his “thoughts and prayers” are with the solider shot and killed near the War Memorial.

He says he can’t help but feel things could have been a lot worse had the shooting happened a half hour or hour later when caucus meetings were getting out and a time when a lot of reporters and public are on the hill.

And though he says the situation is still tense, Cullen says this is not a time to rush to judgement.

“I think it’s important not to jump to conclusions to try and figure out why this happened and who these people are until the police do their investigation.”