Armed Man Drives Through Gate Near Trudeau Residence

An armed member of the Canadian military smashed a truck through gates blocking access to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's residence in Ottawa on Thursday before being taken into custody, according to police. The man, identified by CBC News as Corey Hurren of Manitoba, breached a pedestrian entrance outside Rideau Hall around 6:30am, disabling his vehicle, the RCMP said in a statement. Police said the man then made his way on foot to the greenhouse at the back of Rideau Hall, the official residence of Governor General Julie Payette and a major tourist attraction, which has been closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Payette wasn't there, nor were Trudeau and his family, who live a short distance away in Rideau Cottage, on the same 88-acre grounds. The RCMP said the intruder was "rapidly contained" by RCMP members on patrol.

The man allegedly had a rifle and two shotguns with him, as well as a note. A source tells Global News that he was apprehended with a gun in hand, but said he didn't intend to hurt anyone and only wanted to speak to Trudeau. Hurren, a veteran of the Royal Canadian Artillery, recently rejoined the military as a Canadian Ranger within the Canadian Army Reserve and was on call as part of the military's COVID-19 response, per CBC. On Facebook, he'd described the toll the pandemic had taken on his business, which makes meat products. "I'm not sure what will be left of our economy, industries and businesses when this all ends," he wrote on May 26, per CBC. Hurren reportedly drove more than 1,600 miles from his home in Bowsman, northwest of Winnipeg, to Ottawa. Per CTV News, a robot was seen searching a black pickup truck with Manitoba plates at the scene. (More Canada stories.)