Parti Quebcois victory party disrupted by gun shots and fire; one person is dead

PQ Leader and now Premier-elect Pauline Marois' victory speech came to an abrupt end Tuesday night when she was whisked off stage by her personal security detail.

According to police, an armed man in his early fifties entered the rear of the Metropolis Building in Montreal where hundreds of party supporters were celebrating their minority victory.

The heavy-set man, wearing a blue bath robe shot two people, left the building and then set a fire to the back of the Metropolis. The small fire was quickly put out and policemen who were in the vicinity pursued and caught the suspect and have taken him into custody.

One unidentified victim has died and another is in critical condition and has been taken to hospital.

Officers had initially asked everyone to evacuate the building but that order seemed to be cancelled relatively quickly. Marois came back on stage and casually spoke to supporters. There seemed to be no panic in the building.

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the arrested man yelled "The English are waking up, the English are waking up ... Yeah, yeah, that's enough," as police officers led him into a parked police car.

Investigators questioned people both inside and outside the building looking for potential witnesses.