Only 1 suspect in deadly Quebec mosque shooting, police say
Quebec provincial police now say only one of the two men arrested Sunday night following the deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque is a suspect in the attack.
La SQ confirme qu’un seul des individus arrêté hier soir en lien avec l’#attentat de #Québec est considéré comme suspect.
In a pair of tweets sent shortly after noon, the Sûreté du Québec confirmed one of the men arrested is now considered a witness.
#Attentat de #Quebec Suite à l’enquête, l’autre individu est maintenant considéré comme témoin.
Six men died in the shooting during evening prayers at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec (Islamic cultural centre of Quebec). Nineteen people were also wounded.
Police also said it’s too early to know the motive, what charges may be laid or when the suspect will appear in court.
Premier Philippe Couillard has described the shooting as a “murderous act directed at a specific community.”
- Pig’s head left at front steps of Quebec City mosque last year
- ‘We don’t feel safe’: Mosque shooting sends shockwave through Quebec Muslim community
Police Sgt. Christine Coulombe said the men who were killed ranged in age from 35 to 70.
Five people are still in hospital. Two will need more surgery, while the other three are stable and may be discharged soon. Another 13 people have been released, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Thirty-nine people escaped the mosque without injuries.
An act of terrorism
Couillard described the shooting as an act of terrorism.
“It’s a murderous act directed at a specific community,” he said at a news conference.
“I think the majority of citizens, not just in Quebec but elsewhere, would describe it that way.”
Couillard also shared a message of solidarity with Quebec’s Muslim community.
“We are with you. You are at home. And you are welcome at home,” he said.
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard speaks to Muslim community0:17
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the shooting as a “terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge.”
“Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country,” said Trudeau in a statement.
Late Monday morning, Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume and Couillard held a news conference and invited several leaders in the Muslim community to speak.
Many had trouble getting through their prepared remarks, breaking down at the thought of the lives lost and the show of support they say their community has received since Sunday night.
Attack on the ground floor
Police said prayers were underway at the mosque when shots rang out just before 8 p.m.
Men were praying on the ground floor of the building, while women and children were upstairs.
Quebec City police said they are working with the RCMP and the Quebec provincial police following the shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six people dead and eight wounded. (Mathieu Belanger/Reuters)
Quebec City Police deployed all its available officers, said Insp. Denis Turcotte.
Some of the wounded were in critical condition. (Mathieu Belanger/Reuters)
By 10:40 p.m., police said the situation was under control.
“The building is secure and the occupants evacuated. The investigation continues,” tweeted Quebec City police, who are working with the RCMP and provincial police.
Police patrolled the perimeter near the mosque after the shooting. (Mathieu Belanger/Reuters)
Connection to Laval University?
One of the two men arrested was taken into custody not far from the scene of the shooting, while the other was arrested near l’île d’Orléans, five kilometres from downtown Quebec City, following a police chase of the SUV he was driving.
Radio-Canada reported a gun was found inside the SUV.
A source close to the investigation told Radio-Canada police are investigating whether the suspect attended Laval University, also in Quebec City.
Police say patrols have been stepped up at the university as well as at mosques in Quebec City and elsewhere in Quebec.
Police have erected perimeters and road blocks in other areas of Quebec City as part of their investigation. A search is also underway at a home in Sainte-Foy.
‘A Québécois accent’
Last night, a witness who asked to remain anonymous told Radio-Canada that two masked individuals entered the mosque.
“It seemed to me that they had a Québécois accent. They started to fire, and as they shot, they yelled, ‘Allahu akbar!’ The bullets hit people that were praying. People who were praying lost their lives. A bullet passed right over my head.
“There were even kids. There was even a three-year-old who was with his father,” the witness said.
A few dozen people were inside the Islamic cultural centre of Quebec in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood when the shooting began just after 8 p.m. (Canadian Press)
Call for solidarity with Muslims
Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume fought back tears, saying the city is in mourning.
“To the Muslim community, our neighbours, our co-citizens, who count on our support and solidarity, I want to say, ‘We love you,'” said Labeaume.
People outside the mosque paid their respects. Martin St. Louis holds a sign that reads, ‘La paix non la guerre,’ which means ‘peace, not war.’ (Francis Vachon/Canadian Press)
Politicians around the world also denounced the deadly act.
A message on the Facebook page of the mosque’s administration said: “Thank you for the hundreds of compassionate messages coming from everywhere.”
Politicians and community leaders will attend a vigil in Quebec City Monday evening. Other ceremonies have been planned across the country.
According to Quebec City police, the shooting began just before 8 p.m. ET. (Maxime Corneau/Radio-Canada)
The Islamic cultural centre of Quebec was previously the target of vandals.
Last June, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a pig’s head was left on its doorstep.
Authorities are asking anyone with information into Sunday’s attack to contact Quebec provincial police at 1-800-659-4264.