6 dead, 5 in critical condition in Quebec mosque attack

A hospital spokeswoman says five people who were injured in a horrific mosque shooting in Quebec City on Sunday night are in critical condition.

A spokeswoman with the Centre Hospitalier Universite Laval says at least three of those people are currently between life and death.

At a news conference on Monday morning, police said the six people who were killed in the bloody massacre on Sunday at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec in Quebec City’s Ste-Foy neighbourhood were aged between the ages of 39 and 60.

At least 14 other people were taken to hospital with minor injuries, according to the Centre Hospitalier Universite Laval.

Police had two suspects in custody Sunday night – one was arrested not far from the mosque while another was arrested just east of Quebec City’s downtown core.

Investigators said one of the suspects called 911 late Sunday indicating he wanted to co-operate with authorities. A police spokesman said the man waited for officers who arrested him without incident not long after the attack.

Police said Monday it is too early to specify what charges will be laid.

RCMP did not want to give the ethnic origin of the two accused but said they were not previously known to authorities.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard have called the shooting a “terrorist attack.”

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale tweeted Sunday he is deeply saddened by the loss of life, his office says no motive has been confirmed.

A live video feed on a Facebook page of the mosque showed images of multiple police vehicles and yellow police tape.

The mosque issued a statement of thanks on its Facebook page late Sunday for the many messages of compassion being sent its way.

It has been the subject of threats in the past. Last summer, a gift-wrapped pig’s head was placed at the entrance to the building. The head was wrapped in paper and accompanied by a note that read “Bonne (sic) appetit.”

Vigils are expected to be held in Montreal and Quebec City on Monday.

A number of Canadian Muslim groups have expressed shock and anger at the attack.

“Quebec Muslims are frightened right now,” said Haroun Bouazzi, president of AMAL-Quebec, a Muslim human-rights group based on Montreal. “We are urgently waiting for answers as to how and why such a tragedy could occur.”

The National Council of Canadian Muslims called on law enforcement agencies around the country to increase security around mosques and Islamic centres.

“We are horrified by this despicable act of violence,” the council’s executive director Ihsaan Gardee said in a statement. “This act of wanton murder must be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

Gardee added that the council was “heartened” by the support expressed for the Muslim community by other Canadians.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama also spoke out against the attack.

“We are deeply saddened by the attack that took place in a mosque in Quebec City and we pray for the rapid recovery of the wounded,” said national president Lal Khan Malik. “We are taking steps to ensure that all members of the community feel secure and safe.”

The mosque shooting has also drawn international outrage.

French President Francois Hollande has condemned what he called an “odious attack” while a spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel calls the shooting “despicable.”