6 Killed In Shooting At Quebec City Mosque

QUEBEC CITY (AP) - Quebec police say six people were killed and another eight were wounded in a shooting at a mosque.

Christine Coulombe, the Quebec Provincial Police spokeswoman, says some of the wounded were gravely injured. She says the dead were approximately 35 to 70 years of age. Thirty-nine people were in the mosque at the time of the attack.

Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre President Mohamed Yangui confirmed the number of dead late Sunday in a telephone call.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau characterized the shooting as a "terrorist attack on Muslims." Trudeau said in a statement that it is "heart-wrenching to see such senseless violence" and he vowed that Canadian law enforcement "will make every effort to apprehend the perpetrators of this act and all acts of intolerance."

Two suspects have been arrested. One person was arrested at the scene and the other nearby in d'Orleans.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard says there will be solidarity rallies across Quebec on Monday and says the province's people will all be together to express horror.

Couillard says that like elsewhere in the world Quebec has been hit with terrorism. He says it is an act of murder against a specific community but added he doesn't want to talk about the motive until it's known.

Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume appeared visibly shaken at the early morning press conference. He says no person should have to pay with his or her life for their race or color.

French President Francois Hollande has condemned the "odious attack" on a Quebec mosque and offered support for Canada's leaders.

Hollande, whose country has suffered a string of Islamic extremist attacks, said in a statement that "it was the Quebecois spirit of peace and openness that the terrorists wanted to harm" in Sunday's attack.

Hollande, whose country has suffered a string of deadly Islamic extremist attacks, said "France stands at the sides of the victims and their families," and offered solidarity for Quebec Prime Minister Philippe Couillard and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

This is a developing story, stay with KDKA and KDKA.com for more information. 

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