Quebec City Mosque Shooting Suspect Kills Six
While American politicians are doing all they can to demonize Muslims and prevent them from gaining access to the country, they’re still being targeted and placed in grave danger in other countries around the world.
This past Sunday, Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, opened fire on a group of Muslim worshipers at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Center.
Witnesses say he shot indiscriminately into a crowd full of men, women and children. As a result, six victims were murdered and five more were taken to a local hospital to be treated for serious injuries, according to CNN.
Local authorities have already taken to calling Bissonnette a “lone wolf” in his actions and started to delve into his past to try to put together a motive outside of racism and hate. The crime is being investigated as a terrorist attack.
The names of the fallen victims have been released as follows: Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42; Abdelkrim Hassane, 41; Khaled Belkacemi, 60; Aboubaker Thabti, 44; Azzeddine Soufiane, 57; and Ibrahima Barry, 39.
Earlier in the investigation, Bissonnette and one other suspect were arrested after initial reports claimed that there were two shooters. It was later announced that the second person who was arrested was no longer a suspect and deemed a witness to the crime.
There is no confirmation as to whether Bissonnette, a social sciences student at Laval University in Quebec City, worked alone in this terrible act. He has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Canadian prime minister was quick to condemn Bissonnette’s actions and offer his support to the Muslim community. He later attended a vigil in the honor of the victims.
Tonight, Canadians grieve for those killed in a cowardly attack on a mosque in Quebec City. My thoughts are with victims & their families.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 30, 2017
While the attack occurred in Canada, it shouldn’t be viewed as wholly separate from the actions of President Donald Trump.
According to The Globe and Mail, Bissonnette frequently showed his support for President Trump and his controversial policies online.
For more than a year, he’s worked to convince millions of people that Muslims are a threat and should be treated as such despite mountains of evidence that prove otherwise.
After the President of the United States kicks off a ban of Muslims, it’s not a large jump for someone to make it their personal mission to turn to much darker methods.
Hopefully, this unwarranted and inhumane attack on the character of Muslims across the world comes to an end soon.