The commissioner of the RCMP says Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the alleged gunman who was killed Wednesday after a shooting at the National War Memorial and on Parliament Hill, was not on the RCMP’s watch list of potential high-risk travellers.

“Foremost, I would like to extend condolences on behalf of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to the friends and family of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo,” Bob Paulson said.

“Our sympathies are with our friends in the Canadian Forces, who have tragically lost another member of their family this week to senseless violence.”

Paulson said witnesses saw a man, around 9:50 a.m., coming from behind the National War Memorial and firing twice at reservist Cirillo, who didn’t see him coming.

The man also fired a shot at the second guard, but missed him.

Video after the shooting shows the man abandoning a beige car on Wellington Street, in front of the Hill. The car had been bought on Tuesday.

He ran up the drive, hijacking a cabinet minister’s car and driving it a few dozen metres to the front door of Parliament.

The footage shows Mounties close on the gunman’s heels as he rushed up the stairs and into the building. He was met with gunfire from Commons security and RCMP officers after he ran into the Centre Block on Parliament Hill, brandishing a 30-30, lever-action Winchester rifle.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Paulson said Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was a Canadian, and he may have had dual Libyan-Canadian citizenship. He was born in Montreal and had lived in Calgary and, most recently, Vancouver.

Police learned Zehaf-Bibeau had been in Ottawa since at least Oct. 2 to deal with a passport issue and had been hoping to leave for Syria. By some accounts he may have held “extremist beliefs.”

Paulson said the RCMP was asked to conduct background checks and didn’t come across any information about crimes related to national security.

His records showed drug, violence and other criminal activities. He was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Paulson said the passport “figured prominently” in his motives for Wednesday’s shooting.

“This is an unsettling event for all of us,” Paulson said. “Though we are calling on everyone to remain vigilant, I want to stress that you are safe. Your families are safe.

“It is disheartening and frightening to anyone – police included– when a senseless act of violence takes place in Canada.”

Police said there’s no evidence of a link between Zehaf-Bibeau and Martin Couture-Rouleau, who ran down two Canadian soldiers in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., on Monday.