Sword-wielding man arrested after two deaths in Quebec

QUEBEC CITY – A man dressed in medieval clothing and armed with a Japanese-style sword was charged Sunday with killing two people and wounding five others on Halloween near the historic Château Frontenac hotel in Quebec City.

The attack on randomly chosen victims went on for nearly 21⁄ hours while

2 police pursued the man armed with a katana throughout the city’s downtown core on foot, Quebec Police Chief Robert Pigeon said.

Quebec’s prosecutor’s office said Carl Girouard, 24, faces two counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder. Girouard appeared before a judge via video-conference Sunday.

Police said their initial information indicated the suspect’s motive was personal and not terrorism.

“Last night we were thrust into a night of horror when a 24-year-old man who does not live in Quebec City came here with the clear intention of taking as many victims as possible,” Pigeon said.

Pigeon said the suspect, who was from the Montreal area, had no criminal record, but that “in a medical context” over five years ago, he had shared his intention to commit this type of act. He said the investigation continued.

Police were first notified of the stabbings near the National Assembly shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, and warned people to remain indoors as they hunted for the attacker.

The people killed were identified as 56-year-old Francois Duchesne and 61year-old Suzanne Clermont.

The five injured victims were taken to a hospital. “Some have very significant lacerations but we do not fear for their lives,” Pigeon said.

Steve Jolicoeur, a freelance photographer, said the deceased male had his throat slit. Jolicoeur said another person was cut on the shoulder while another was cut on the head and hand.

He said he witnessed the arrest of the suspect, who threw his sword in the air.

“He seemed confused,” Jolicoeur said. “He was in black clothes, like a ninja.”

Police searched his car and resi

dence.

Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume said Canada needs to have a debate about how to deal with mental illness. He said the attack has shaken the city, which is still recovering from a shooting at a mosque in 2017 that killed six people.

Steve Jolicoeur, a freelance photographer, said he witnessed the arrest of the suspect, who threw his sword in the air.

“He seemed confused,” Jolicoeur said. “He was in black clothes, like a ninja.”

Police asked any other witnesses to contact them.

JACQUES BOISSINOT/THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP A K-9 unit police officer works the site of a fatal stabbing in Quebec City on Sunday. A witness to an arrest said the suspect was dressed as a “ninja” and carried a Japanese-style sword.