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Live Briefing: Fatal Shooting at a Quebec City Mosque | Live Briefing: Fatal Shooting at a Quebec City Mosque |
(about 3 hours later) | |
• Six people were killed and eight were wounded, some seriously, during an attack on a mosque in the Canadian city of Quebec during evening prayers on Sunday, according to the police. The six dead were ages 35 to 70. | |
• Thirty-nine worshipers at the mosque, the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec, at the time of the attack were unharmed, the police said. | |
• A spokeswoman for the Quebec Provincial Police, Christine Colombe, said that one suspect had been arrested at the scene of the shooting and another was apprehended nearby, on Île d’Orleans. The police have not yet identified a motive for the attack. | |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement on behalf of himself and his wife after the shooting: | |
The leaders of the province and city of Quebec held a news conference Monday morning to express their solidarity with Muslims. | |
“We are with you. You are at home,” said Philippe Couillard, the premier of Quebec, addressing Muslims. “I have no doubt that one particular community, the Muslim community, was the target of this deadly attack.” | “We are with you. You are at home,” said Philippe Couillard, the premier of Quebec, addressing Muslims. “I have no doubt that one particular community, the Muslim community, was the target of this deadly attack.” |
The officials are set to meet with Muslim leaders at 10 a.m. on Monday. | |
In a post on Twitter, Mr. Couillard called for solidarity with Muslims. “Let’s unite against violence. Solidarity with the Québécois of Muslim faith.” | |
Martin Coiteux, the provincial minister of public security, said that “the police systems for dealing with terrorist acts have been activated.” | |
In a post on Twitter, he said that “ensuring the safety of the population is our priority.” | |
Mr. Trudeau quickly responded to the shooting on Twitter: | |
Régis Labeaume, the mayor of Quebec, said in a statement that the city was in a state of shock. | Régis Labeaume, the mayor of Quebec, said in a statement that the city was in a state of shock. |
“Quebec City is an open city, where all must be able to live in safety and respect,” he said. | |
Of the city’s roughly 765,000 people, 6,760 identified themselves as Muslim in the last national census. While Muslims make up a small percentage of the primarily-Roman Catholic city, they significantly outnumber members of Canada’s two main Protestant churches. | |
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York said the police were providing additional protection for mosques there after the Quebec shooting, according to The Associated Press. “All New Yorkers should be vigilant. If you see something, say something,” he posted on Twitter. | Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York said the police were providing additional protection for mosques there after the Quebec shooting, according to The Associated Press. “All New Yorkers should be vigilant. If you see something, say something,” he posted on Twitter. |
The police in Montreal and other Canadian cities also plan to increase security at and around mosques, according to CBC. | |
Mohamed Yangui, the president of the mosque, was not present at the time of the attack, but he told the Toronto daily The Globe and Mail that evening prayers were usually attended by 60 to 100 people. He relayed the accounts of witnesses who told him that the assailants had reloaded their guns as they worked their way through two floors. |