2022 Congressional Hall shooting
| 2022 Congressional Hall shooting | |
|---|---|
 Police respond to the shooting at the Fannen office building | |
| Location | Congressional Hall, Tofino, Zian, Zamastan |
| Date | October 30th, 2022 3:40 PM |
| Weapons | Six-shot revolvers |
| Deaths | 8 (including the perpetrators) |
Non-fatal injuries | 7 |
| Perpetrator | Terehanian sympathizers |
| Assailant | Furqaan al-Adel and Jareer al-Farhat |
The 2022 Congressional Hall shooting was an attack on October 30th, 2022 at the Fannen office building, part of the Congressional Hall complex utilized by the Green Liberal Party. The attackers, Furqaan al-Adel and Jareer al-Farhat, killed 6 people including congressmen Johan Faulkner and Agustin Poole, three staffers, and a security guard before they were killed by responding officers. The ZIS stated the shooters were trying to gain access to the main congressional building, but they were stopped by a security guard and began their attack much earlier. Al-Adel and al-Farhat's motive was determined to be their sympathy for the Terehanian regime of Asaad al-Shaad, which had recently been invaded by WEDA.
Shooting
At 3:40 p.m., Furqaan al-Adel and Jareer al-Farhat, both of whom were armed with six-shot revolvers, entered the Fannen Office building where congressmen Johan Faulkner and Agustin Poole were meeting with staffers and a tour group in the lobby. At the same time, Officer Rand Haulson was providing directions to a tourist and his son. The armed men walked through the metal detector in the front door, causing the alarm to go off. Haulson requested they go back through the detector, at which point the men suddenly produced their guns and shot Haulson at point-blank range. The men then opened fire on people in the lobby, before turning to run down a hallway which eventually leads towards the main Congressional Hall building.
Upon hearing the gunfire, another security officer who was in plain clothes told office staff to hide under their desks. Furqaan al-Adel entered the office and quickly shot the officer and two others, though their injuries were non life-threatening. The injured officer returned fire, shooting al-Adel four times killing him. A second responding officer in the hallway intercepted Jareer al-Farhat and fired, mortally wounding him. Al-Farhat was taken to a local hospital, where he was given medical treatment but died four hours later.
The Fannen Office building is the main operating headquarters for the GLP in Tofino. Each political party present in Congressional Hall has their respective offices in and around the Congressional Hall complex. The Fannen building is attached to the main Congressional Hall building via a series of adjoining buildings, as well as an underground walkway. It is believed the attackers were intending to reach either the main Congressional Hall building or adjoining party offices, as they immediately headed in the direction of these locations.
The legislature was not in session at the time of the shooting, and the entire complex was placed under lockdown and evacuated. Speaker Alisha Fletcher and other party leaders were taken from the premises to secure locations, and President Sabine Armitage was placed under "high-risk protection" at the Presidential residence.
Victims
The shooting claimed the lives of 6 people, not including the two attackers. Officer Rand Haulson was the first killed, and he was posthumously award the Congressional Medal of Merit. Congressman Johan Faulkner, congressman Agustin Poole, and three GLP staffers - Veronica Rowland (29), Alma Keith (28), and Mark Johns (43) - were killed.
At least 7 other people were injured, including a tourist who was in critical condition and required a liver transplant. Another congressman, Alannah Cote (GLP - Northern Isle 13th district), was grazed on her face and shoulder by shrapnel from a marble wall, as rounds impacted on the wall while she was attempting to flee Weston. She was treated for her injuries and released from a nearby hospital. Poole and Faulkner, both members of the Green Liberal Party, represented Jade's 32nd and 49th districts respectively. Poole had held his seat since 2018, and Faulkner had held his since 2014.
Attackers
Furqaan al-Adel and Jareer al-Farhat were both 26 years of age and of Terehanian-descent. Al-Adel was a student at the University of Tofino, and al-Farhat worked at a steel mill in the eastern Tofino neighborhood of Pitt. Both men had been living in Zamastan since their early childhoods, and though the ZIS has not publicly stated whether they are connected to the Terehanian government, their motive was determined to be in direct connection to the ongoing military conflict, as al-Adel was briefly detained by police the prior week for smashing a window during the widespread demonstrations against the war in Terehan. Al-Adel had also posted inflammatory comments on his Owler account, including one which appeared to threaten the life of Senate President pro-tempore, Burhan Swanson (BCP). As for al-Farhat, he had no known social media presence, but co-workers testified that he was irrate about the war in Terehan.
Aftermath
President Sabine Armitage was at the Presidential residence at the time and spoke briefly in a televised statement, saying "my heart breaks for the congressmen, their staffers, and the brave officer who lost their lives in this horrific attack on the seat of our democracy. We will get to the bottom of this horrible tragedy and take every measure to respond to ensure this never happens again."
Congress Majority Leader Joyce Hess, who was not present at the capitol at the time of the attack, released a statement saying "I have spoken with the families of both Congressmen Poole and Faulkner, and have reached out to the families of the deceased staffers and the Congressional security officer who died in today's barbaric attack. Congressmen Poole and Faulkner were admirable lawmakers and kind men, and their contributions to their constituents, our party, and our democracy will be cherished along with their memory long after today."