OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canadian police say they have found no connection between the two attacks on soldiers this week.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioner Bob Paulson also says authorities had not been watching the gunman in advance of his deadly attack on a soldier at a war memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a 32-year-old petty criminal, then stormed the nearby Parliament building, where he was shot to death.

Paulson said Thursday that Zehaf-Bibeau had recently applied for a passport, and authorities now believe he intended to go to Syria.

“The passport was part of his motivation. His application was not rejected. His passport was not revoked,” Paulson said. “He was waiting to get it and there was an investigation going on to determine to see whether he would get a passport.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.