On October 22, a gunman fatally shot Canadian Forces soldier, Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who was standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Canada. After he shot this soldier, he headed toward the Parliament Hill building, with his rifle in plain view, walked inside and managed to shoot and wound security personnel, before being killed by the Sergeant-at-Arms, Kevin Vickers.

Prime Minister, Steven Harper considers this a terrorist act, along with the killing of the Quebec soldier, Patrice Vincent, two days ago, which he referred to as “an Islamic State-inspired attack.” And even though he refuses that Canadians be intimidated and police indicate there isn’t a threat to the public, these incidents have some Canadians confused and anxious about our safety and where to go from here.

As a collective society, we play an important role in response to these incidents.

The worst thing to do after a situation like this is to react or panic – which can make matters worse – according to clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson (“The psychology of terrorism,” Canada AM, Oct 2014). He indicates that the best way we can respond is through solidarity.

“The goal of terrorism is to disrupt the society, and the best way to deal with it is to not let them do it,” says Peterson. He adds, “It’s better to have risks in freedom,” and to stand strong by continuing to do what we do, and to come together.

Although, life can be unpredictable and situations such as these may shake our sense of safety, “it doesn’t pose a threat to our society,” says Peterson. We can continue to stay united through our support for one another – as individuals, communities and our country – by staying ‘strong and free.’