US Ramping Up Security After Ottawa Shooting

DHS Says Precautionary Steps Taken Nationwide

Though they are keeping most of the details secret, Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson has confirmed the US is ramping up security measures at federal buildings in Washington DC and other major cities nationwide.

Johnson termed the move a “precautionary step” taken as a result of the recent shooting at the Ottawa parliament and other unspecified “world events” that might suggest a risk to US government installations.

The move may not be restricted to federal buildings, either, as the DHS is also urging state and local governments to be vigilant about “potential small-scale attacks by a lone offender or a small group of individuals.”

Other US officials termed the move a response to ISIS and the Nusra Front calling for retaliation after US airstrikes against them in Syria, saying it was necessary to protect US interests “overseas and at home.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.