I'm wondering if the terminology is intentional, or if it is just a difference between Canadian and American English.   Down here we don't really use the term "long gun" that often.  It's around, but I just don't think it's all that common in general conversation. 

However in Canada,  you hear a lot about the "long gun" registry etc.  Especially since they finally got rid of that crap a couple years ago.    Might be the media is trying to tie this incident into that by using the term just so they can start claiming they need to reinstate the registry and generally go after the "long guns".

I heard on Fox News he used a model 1894 Winchester in caliber .30-30.

FWIW:

Zehaf-Bibeau's rampage with a hunting rifle, identified as a 30-30 Winchester lever action gun, in the Canadian capital was stopped when Parliament's sergeant-at-arms, Kevin Vickers, and RCMP fatally shot him in the marbled central hallway of the Centre Block, within metres of a room where the prime minister was meeting with members of Parliament.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-shooting-terror-attack-chatter-but-no-specific-threat-1.2810113

Another article here. No mention if he was carrying any ammunition beyond what was in the gun:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa-shooting-where-did-michael-zehaf-bibeau-get-his-gun-1.2811249

Not intending to be funny...  but their Master of Arms proved why he is THE Master of Arms today.

Yep.  It's not merely a symbolic office.  The Sergeant At Arms is responsible for security operations on the Hill and is typically former military or police.

  The above mentioned picture, purportedly, first showed up on an ISIS related Twitter account, then has made it to the public eye. If this is true, who'd have taken the pic and only posted it to the Twitter account? Now that's an odd, interesting question, isn't it?
  As for the Sgt at Arms and his weapon, it appears the be a S&W 9mm 5946 TSW. In a video, taken soon after the stopping of the murderer, one can see the Dawson Precicion rail bolted to the dustcover typical of the TSW series, as the SAA is walking around checking doors. The 5946 and 5946TSW have been in RCMP service for quite a while now.

There appear to be some reports that he arrived with two others who departed the scene before he began his spree.  So yes... curious indeed.

I'll affirm that the pistol was almost certainly a 5946.  That is the standard RCMP pistol which replaced their wheel guns back in the last '80's, early '90's.

Yeah, I know perhaps this should be a new thread, but what the hell, let's just pile all the "Lone Rat Attack" incidents on this thread so they'll be easier to manage....there will be a wave of them....

Yep.  Until all of the lemmings have jumped into the sea.

I'm wondering if the terminology is intentional, or if it is just a difference between Canadian and American English.   Down here we don't really use the term "long gun" that often.  It's around, but I just don't think it's all that common in general conversation. 

However in Canada,  you hear a lot about the "long gun" registry etc.  Especially since they finally got rid of that crap a couple years ago.    Might be the media is trying to tie this incident into that by using the term just so they can start claiming they need to reinstate the registry and generally go after the "long guns".

It's a little of all of that.  Reporters will often use the term because that is the way the registry was introduced by the Liberal government, and also because they do not know what they are looking at other than a gun which is longer than a handgun.  Using the term "long gun" makes them seem officious and knowledgeable.

Certainly, there are some groups that will try to use this as an excuse to try to bring back the registry, or even tighter restrictions.  The media, virtually the entire media in Canada, is so red liberal it would make you wince.  They advance this agenda without conscious thought, it is their hard wired response.