The lone suspect accused of opening fire at a Quebec City mosque was formally charged with six counts of first-degree murder on Monday evening, one day after the massacre that killed six men.
(FOX)- The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, a student at the nearby Laval University, the CBC reported. Bissonnette also was charged with five counts of attempted murder.
A second man, Mohamed el Khadir, was initially identified as an additional suspect by Quebec officials. Reuters and the French language newspaper La Presse reported earlier that one of the suspects was of Moroccan origin, a report that was picked up by Fox News and other news outlets.
But police later announced there was only one suspect in the attack, and Khadir was identified as a witness.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the massacre at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, calling it a “terrorist attack on Muslims.” The attack unfolded in the men’s section of the mosque on Sunday night.
Five people were in critical condition and at least 12 others suffered minor injuries, University of Quebec Hospital Centre spokeswoman Genevieve Dupuis said Monday. The dead ranged in age from age 35 to 65.
A possible motive was unclear. Police said they did not believe there were other suspects.