6 killed in Canada mosque shooting, ‘lone wolf’ suspect held

A terrorist strike on Muslims: Trudeau

POLICE WERE investigating a single suspect in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed six people, with a second person who was arrested now considered a witness, authorities said on Monday. The sole suspect in the attack Sunday evening prayers was Alexandre Bissonnette, a French-canadian university student, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The man now considered a witness was of Moroccan descent although his nationality was not immediately known, the source said. He was named by media as Mohamed Khadir or Mohammed Belkhadir by media.

Police declined to give details of those arrested or possible motives for the shooting at the mosque, the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec.

Authorities initially said they had arrested two suspects, but in a Twitter message, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that “following the investigation, the second individual is now considered as a witness.”

Police said on Monday morning they were confident no other suspects were involved in the attack. “They consider this a lone wolf situation,” the source said.

In addition to the six killed, five people were critically injured and 12 were treated for minor injuries, a spokeswoman for the Quebec City University Hospital said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier called the shooting “a terrorist attack on Muslims.” He was heading to Quebec City later on Monday, a spokesman said.

The shooting came over a weekend when Trudeau said Canada would welcome refugees, speaking in response to Trump’s order to halt the US refugee program and to temporarily bar citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

A father of four, the owner of a halal butcher near the mosque, was among those killed, said Pamela Sakinah El-hayet, a friend ofoneofthepeopleatthemosque.

The mosque concierge was killed, as was Ahmed Youness, a 21-year-old student, El-hayet told Reuters. One of El-hayet’s friends, Youness’ roommate, was in the mosque at the time of the shooting. He was unharmed, she said, but in total shock.

Ali Assafiri, a student at Université Laval, said he had been running late for the evening prayers at the mosque, near the university in the Quebec City area.

Université Laval is the oldest French-language university in North America, with 42,500 students. Vigils were planned for Montreal and Quebec City, the provincial capital, as well as in Edmonton on Monday. There was an outpouring of support for the mosque on social media.

Citizens for Public Justice, a group of Canadian Christians, churches and other religious congregations, expressed their solidarity with the Muslims of Quebec City. REUTERS

Reuters Police officers near the mosque after the shooting in Quebec City on Sunday night.