Four years after he tried to help save the life of a Canadian soldier shot in a terrorist attack on Parliament Hill, Martin Magnan says he is still dealing with the emotional repercussions of those events.
“The recovery’s been quite difficult,” Magnan told CTV News Channel on Sunday from Ottawa.
Monday marks the four-year anniversary of the attack which killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and injured several other people at the National War Memorial.
That morning, Magnan was on his way to a coffee shop when he heard the sound of gunfire. Having received military training, he knew instantly that something serious was happening.
“You know what it is. You know that sound,” he said.
“My spine stood up. I ran over.”
Another soldier had been closer and was already tending to Cirillo. Magnan asked what he could do to help and was told to lift the 24-year-old’s legs. He did.
“The whole scene just unfolded itself in a manner of seconds. Time was very different,” Magnan said.
Other bystanders continued to arrive at the scene, with emergency responders shortly behind. Magnan and the others tried to comfort the soldier as he died.
The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, was shot and killed after making his way inside the Centre Block of Parliament.
Magnan said he went through a “really awful” year after the attack, struggling with post-traumatic stress. Although he still has “ups and downs,” he said support from his family and friends, anxiety medication and seeing a “shaman in the Algonquin tradition” have helped him cope with what he witnessed.
“These are just things you’ve got to get through,” he said.
Although the attack has faded somewhat from the public consciousness since Oct. 22, 2014, Magnan says he believes Canadians remember Cirillo’s sacrifice.
“It’s kind of a window into reality for us,” he said.
“These men and women in uniform – they die. They really do die for us.”
