U.S. Boosts National Security After Ottawa Shooting

Security at U.S. government buildings around the nation will be boosted in the wake of violence that targeted government officials and federal establishments in Canada last week, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson announced Tuesday.

The presence of the Federal Protective Service (FPS) will be enhanced around several locations in Washington, D.C. and other major cities in the country, Johnson said in a statement. FPS protects more than 9,500 federal government buildings that are visited every day by some 1.4 million people, according to the Associated Press. The exact locations and actions will not be disclosed, as they are are sensitive to law-enforcement, but Johnson added that the security presence will be re-evaluated continuously.

The increased security is a precautionary measure to protect government personnel and facilities after a Canadian soldier was fatally shot in Ottawa just outside Parliament, Johnson said. The shooting is the latest crime linked to extremism that targeted government buildings or officials, following a hatchet attack last week on four New York Police Department officers.

“Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance in the protection of U.S. government installations and our personnel,” Johnson said. “We urge state and local governments and their law enforcement personnel, along with critical infrastructure owners and operators, to be equally vigilant, particularly in guarding against potential small-scale attacks by a lone offender or a small group of individuals.”