Mosque shooting in Quebec leaves 6 dead

Two men were arrested following last night's shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six people dead and 18 wounded. Police have erected perimeters and road blocks in other areas of Quebec City as part of their investigation.

The gunfire started at the Islamic center at around 8 p.m., Le Journal de Quebec reported. More than 50 people were attending prayer service at the time of the shooting. The center's president Mohamed Yangui said the shooters reloaded at least three times.

The police spokewoman said the victims who died in the shooting were all men and ranged in age from 35 to 70.

“A TERRORIST ATTACK ON MUSLIMS”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the shooting as a "terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge."

"Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country", said Trudeau in a statement.

“Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear”, he added.

“THEY HAD QUEBÉCOIS ACCENT”

A witness who asked to remain anonymous, told Radio-Canada that two masked individuals entered the mosque.

"It seemed to me that they had a Québécois accent. They started to fire, and as they shot, they yelled, 'Allahu akbar!' The bullets hit people that were praying. People who were praying lost their lives. A bullet passed right over my head.”

QUEBEC SUPPORTS MUSLIM COMMUNITY

Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume fought back tears, said the city is in mourning. "To the Muslim community, our neighbours, our co-citizens, who count on our support and solidarity, I want to say, 'We love you'."

Quebec Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux said places of worship across the province have been placed under surveillance, with police deployed close to a dozen of them.

The Islamic cultural centre of Quebec was previously the target of vandals. In the summer of 2016 a pig’s head was left on its doorstep in the middle of Ramadan

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