University student sole suspect in shooting at Quebec mosque: source

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

January 30, 2017 at 14:05

UNIVERSITY student Alexandre Bissonnette is the sole suspect in a mass shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed six worshippers, a source said.

A second person being held in connection with the shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre on Sunday night and is now considered a witness and not a suspect, the source added.

He was identified as Mohamed el Khadir and believed to be of Moroccan descent.

Bissonnette, 27, was arrested by Canadian police about 24km from the scene after reportedly calling police to say he was armed but ready to surrender.

US President Donald Trump called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday to express his condolences and offer assistance.

Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, has been arrested over the shooting. Picture: FacebookSource:Supplied

More than 50 people were at the mosque when the shooting erupted in the men’s section.

The six victims were reportedly aged between 35 and 65. A hospital spokeswoman said five were in critical condition and 12 others suffered minor injuries.

Sûreté du Quebec spokeswoman Christine Coulombe told TVA: “There is nothing to suggest that there are other suspects.”

Police survey the scene after deadly shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada. Picture: Francis Vachon/The Canadian Press via APSource:AP

Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard both characterised the attack as a terrorist act, which came amid heightened tensions worldwide over Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim countries.

“We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge,” Trudeau said in a statement.

“It is heart-wrenching to see such senseless violence. Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear. Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country.”

Please read my statement on tonight’s terrorist attack in Quebec City: https://t.co/58NRcOAUmB
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 30, 2017

Canada is generally very welcoming toward immigrants and all religions, but the French-speaking province of Quebec has had a long-simmering debate about race and religious accommodation.

The previous separatist government of the province called for a ban on religious symbols such as the hijab in public institutions.

The mayor of Gatineau, Quebec, near Canada’s capital of Ottawa, said there would be an increased police presence at mosques around his city following the attack.